ISLAMABAD, April 19: Thousands of women rights activists, members of different non-governmental organisations and civil society groups on Thursday held rallies across the country to protest against what they called rapidly growing Talibanisation of society, mullah-military alliance and religious extremism, with particular reference to announcement of Sharia enforcement by stick-wielding male and female students and clerics of Jamia Hafsa and Lal Masjid in Islamabad.

In an open expression of outrage in Islamabad, a large number of people took to the streets on Thursday to protest against the increasingly violent and intimidating tactics of the Lal Masjid clerics and Jamia Hafsa girl students and the government’s inaction to curb their illegal activities.

Marching from the Blue Area towards parliament, hundreds of well-integrated members of civil society held placards inscribed with slogans such as: “Mullah Raj — Danda Raj Namanzoor”, “Islam Kay Thekaydar Namanzoor”, “No Compulsion in Religion”, “Jali Shariyat Na Manzoor”, “Stop Terrorism in the Name of Religion”, and “Stop Religious Extremism and Intolerance”.

“They are promoting violence and intolerance,” said Faisal Javed, a concerned citizen. The rally was organized by the Islamabad Citizens Committee.

The protestors condemned the government’s reluctance to take action against Lal Masjid/Jamia Hafsa and Jamia Fareedia clerics and students.

“How dare the mullahs threaten to throw acid on women who don’t cover their faces? How does the government allow anyone to set up a parallel court? Why our rulers feel helpless in acting against these people who kidnap a woman and label her as prostitute?” asked Dr Farzana Bari, a human rights activist.

KARACHI: A large number of women on Thursday participated in a rally outside the Quaid’s mausoleum to protest against mounting threats posed to civil society by religious extremists.

“No to religious extremism, Pakistan is for all of us,” read a placard carried by most participants of the rally, who had gathered at the main entrance of the Quaid’s mausoleum.

The rally was organized by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) for People’s Rights – a conglomeration of over 30 civil society organisations.

Anis Haroon of the JAC led the rally while Justice (retd) Majida Rizvi, City Naib Nazim Nasreen Jalil and PPP MPA Sharfunnisa Leghari also attended.

Participants of the rally had come from different parts of the city and some of them even from the interior of Sindh to make it an impressive show of force.

They were chanting slogans of ‘No to Religious Extremism’, ‘Pakistan is for all Pakistanis’ and ‘Down with Mullah-Military Alliance’.

A declaration was released on the occasion which condemned all those elements who were promoting terrorism, barbarism and giving rise to sectarian strife in the name of religion.

“Some religious fanatics want to impose a particular way of life through harassment and the government should enforce the writ of the law,” said the declaration.

“We are against the use of force by any group or individual and it is the duty of the government to protect the basic rights of its citizens, maintain law and order and help create an atmosphere of peace and tolerance,” it said.

The participants urged the government to take action against clerics and students of Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa and Jamia Faridia and not to bow to illegal and extra-constitutional demands of these fanatics.

LAHORE: Hundreds of men and women staged a rally on The Mall to protest against religious extremism, Talibanisation of society and military-mullah alliance.