ISLAMABAD, Feb 26: Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Sunday accused the government of indirectly encouraging western countries by banning peaceful demonstrations against blasphemous cartoons.

This he said while addressing a news conference after the government prevented him from boarding a Lahore-bound plane at the Islamabad airport. He said police kept him in custody for a couple of hours before he was escorted back to his Parliament Lodges suit from the airport.

Maulana Fazl said that another aim of the ban was to get a few concessions President Bush might announce for Pakistan during his upcoming visit to Islamabad.

He said the government had demonstrated its dictatorial ambitions by blocking a religious demonstration and arresting scores of political and religious leaders and workers across the country.

These coercive measures against the lovers of the Prophet (peace be upon him), he said, would encourage the countries involved in blasphemy.

However, he pledged, such actions would not deter the faithful from expressing their sentiments as they were determined to offer every sacrifice to protect the honour of the Prophet (pbhu).

Maulana Fazl, who is also secretary-general of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal and head of his Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, announced that peaceful demonstrations on the eve of the US president’s visit would be held as planned to highlight the opposition’s view on Mr Bush’s oppressive policies.

He said protests would continue until the European newspapers guilty of blasphemy offered apology and assured that no such material would be published again.

In reply to a question about the possibility of opposition leaders’ meeting with President Bush, the JUI chief said he had not received any invitation.

He said opposition parties would like to impress upon President Bush that most of the countries differed with the US policies adopted after the 9/11 attacks and that all his actions were against humanity.

“We want to make it clear that by backing a military dictator as ruler of Pakistan Mr Bush has ceased to be a supporter of democracy.”

Maulana Fazl said that in accordance with the decision of the ‘National Consultative Conference’ rallies would be held in Karachi and Quetta on March 5 and 7, respectively.

March 3 will be observed as the ‘international day of Muslim solidarity’ and there will be a countrywide strike on the day, he announced.

He said that resumption of the opposition’s anti-government campaign postponed in October following the earthquake would be considered at the All Parties Conference being held under the auspices of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy on Monday.

He said a decision would be taken in view of the situation emerging after the publication of blasphemous material.

Maulana Fazl said that like him MMA president Qazi Hussain Ahmed and PTI leader Imran Khan had also been detained while ARD chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim had not been allowed to proceed to Lahore take part in the rally against blasphemous cartoons.