KARACHI, April 15: Participants of a mammoth rally organised by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement pledged on Sunday to make Pakistan a peaceful and moderate welfare state. For this purpose they are ready to fight religious extremists who want to impose stick-wielding Sharia.

The MQM called a rally in the metropolis on Sunday to denounce religious extremists and imposition of ‘Kalashnikov and stick-wielding Sharia’ by those aligned to Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa in Islamabad.

It was a well-disciplined rally whose starting point was Guru Mandir, where participants converged to march towards Tibet Centre. Party workers and supporters took out a number of rallies not only from different areas of the metropolis but from other cities of the province to reach the starting point. Processions arrived in the city from Hyderabad, Sukkur, Jacobabad, Kashmor, Ghotki and Larkana.

People reached the starting point in cars, motorcycles, coaches, minibuses and buses. Traffic police closed the road leading to Guru Mandir from Teen Hatti for all traffic other than those participating in the rally. All vehicles were parked at Sharah-i-Quaideen behind the mausoleum of Quaid-i-Azam.

Besides personnel of traffic police, traffic was being controlled by APMSO workers. Main M.A. Jinnah Road was closed for all kinds of traffic from the starting point of the rally to Tibet Centre.

The rally began at about 3.30pm and was led by MQM leaders Dr Farooq Sattar, Anwar Alam and others. MQM legislators, ministers, nazims, showbiz personalities, writers, representatives of human rights and women’s rights bodies, Ulema of all schools of thought as well as representatives of minorities participated in the rally.

Carrying tri-coloured party flags and huge portraits of MQM chief Altaf Hussain, a very large number of people participated in the rally, turning it into a big public meeting. From Guru Mandir to Tibet Centre people -- including women and children -- were seen sitting on both tracks of M.A. Jinnah Road.

Strict security arrangements were made by law-enforcing agencies while two helicopters performed aerial surveillance of the rally. Policemen were deployed at the rooftops of all commercial and residential buildings along M.A. Jinnah Road. MQM workers also performed security duties at the location.

Participants of the rally shouted slogans against those imposing ‘stick-wielding Sharia’ and demanded immediate action against religious extremists.

They warmly welcomed Mr Hussain when he started his telephonic address and raised slogans in favour of the party and their leader. However, Mr Hussain asked the participants not to raise any slogan.

Terming the mammoth rally a public referendum against religious extremism, Mr Hussain observed that the event was unprecedented in the entire history of the subcontinent or that of present Pakistan.

The participants unanimously answered in affirmative when Mr Hussain asked them as to whether they are prepared mentally and physically to fight against extremists who are painting a negative picture of Islam.

The rally univocally declared that they will never accept ‘Kalashnikov and stick-wielding Sharia’ imposed by Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa. They also endorsed Mr Hussain’s demand with the president and prime minister to take action against illegal occupation of Jamia Hafsa and Lal Masjid by the religious extremists.

Earlier, Dr Farooq Sattar said that by participating in the rally, people made it clear that they are ready to sacrifice their lives to stop religious extremists, who were imposing their own brand of Sharia.

Other speakers were Shaikh Liaquat Hussain, Tahir Khokhar, Ashfaq Mangi, Roshan Khan Advocate, Yousuf Shahwani, Lala Rukh Mustafa, Shah Sirajul Haq Qadri, Maulana Asad Deobandi and Maulana Ameer Abdullah Farooqui.

After Mr Hussain’s address, participants dispersed peacefully.