KARACHI, April 6: Thousands of people turned up at the Mazar-i-Quaid to take part in the “Shan-i-Mustafa March” organised by the Jamaat-i-Islami on Sunday.

Activists and supporters of other parties also participated in the march. Carrying party flags and banners inscribed with slogans against blasphemers, they raised slogans against the Netherlands government for not taking action against those responsible for “attacks on Islam through blasphemous caricatures and film.”

They strongly condemned all attempts to hurt feelings of the believers of any faith, especially Islam, in any form of blasphemy, and vowed to lay down their lives to protect the sanctity of the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him).

To register their strong protest against the repeated publication of blasphemous caricatures in the Danish press and production of a similar film in the Netherlands, the participants of the rally marched from the Mazar up to Tower, raising slogans against the two countries.

Syed Munawwar Hasan, Maulana Asadullah Bhutto and Mohammad Hussain Mehanti of the JI; Mamnoon Hussain of the PML-N; Habib Junedi of the PPP, Jafar Subhani of the IT, Siddique Rathore of the JUP and Afzal Sardar of the JAH were among those who spoke at the rally.

Through a resolution adopted on the occasion, the Pakistan government was urged to sever its diplomatic ties with Denmark and Holland and called on the United Nations to enact an international law under which blasphemy be declared “an unforgivable crime”.

The participants torched flags of Denmark and the Netherlands, as well as effigies of several western rulers.

Syed Munawwar Hasan, who led the rally, said that a war of civilisations was being imposed on the Muslims around the globe by certain western rulers who were taking dictation from the United States.

Some other resolution passed at the rally demanded release of Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, measures to bring an end to load-shedding through installation of power plants, repeal of privatisation agreement with KESC and immediate steps to check poverty and price spiral.

The rally called for restoration of lasting peace in the country, especially in Karachi and other parts of Sindh, through effective measures to check target killing, terrorism and political violence.

It also demanded implementation of Murree Declaration and restoration of all deposed judges with in the stipulated time.