HYDERABAD, July 4: Activists of Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and a number of other religious parties staged rallies in Hyderabad, Shikarpur and Nawabshah on Wednesday in protest against government’s action against Lal Masjid in Islamabad.

In Hyderabad, JI leaders Abdul Waheed Qureshi and Shaikh Shaukat Ali condemned use of force against the students of Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa, in their addresses to a rally outside the press club.

They said that the issue could have been solved through talks but the government resorted to violence to appease America. While the same government had never dared take action against the jagirdars and waderas who had set up their own private jails and were running parallel governments, they said.

They said that ‘a terrorist group’ had formed a parallel government in Karachi and Hyderabad and killed 50 innocent people in Karachi on May 12 but the government did not move into action not to mention of launching an operation against them.

Activists of JI and its affiliated organisations in Shikarpur staged a rally condemning action against Lal Masjid by rangers and police.

Led by Maulvi Sadruddin Mahar and Abdul Qadir Abro, the rally started from Madressa Furqania. The participants of the rally staged a demonstration at Lakhi Gate Tower Chowk after marching on main roads the city.

JI activists staged a rally in Sakrand, which started from Al-Khidmat office and terminated at Sahafi Chowk Sakrand.

JI leaders Rashid Mukarram, Mustafa Chandio, Rao Iqbal and Rao Ameen criticised the government for carrying out operation against the Masjid clerics.

Activists of Muttahida Majjlis-i-Amal led by Maulana Mufti Mohammad Sharif Saeedi staged a demonstration outside the Madina Masjid and raised slogans against the government.