SIALKOT, March 7: Punjab Jamaat-i-Islami Amir Liaquat Baloch has said that government's efforts to divide the MMA will be fruitless, as all leaders of the alliance were playing a pivotal role in promotion of democratic values.

At a press conference here on Sunday afternoon, he said the MMA would hold public meetings in all cities and towns of the country as part of its countrywide mass contact campaign from March 17 to prepare people for a protest drive against government's failure to safeguard national interests.

Mr Baloch said that the MMA and the JI were taking all political leaders into confidence for launching the anti-Musharraf movement. A majority of political leaders had agreed to join hands with the MMA against the policies of present rulers, he claimed.

He said that both Jamali and Musharraf had compromised on the Kashmir cause and the nuclear programme just to please the US, putting country's solidarity at stake.

Mr Baloch said that Gen Musharraf should immediately quit as the army chief, as this was vital for real and sustainable democracy. MMA's local MPA Arshad Mehmood Baggu, MMA district president Chaudhry Amjad Ali Cheema and JI district Amir Abdul Qadeer Rahi were also present.

FREED: Villagers led by the union council Naib Nazim on Sunday got freed two accused involved in theft cases from the police custody in Maraakiwal village, Sialkot tehsil. The villagers also beat up severely the raiding police party.

The Kotwali police team led by SI Rana Hassan Muhammad raided the houses of two alleged thieves - Azhar and Ilyas for their arrest and recovery of the stolen valuables from them.

As the police arrested them, a mob of villagers led by Naib Nazim Malik Shehbaz gathered there and demanded their arrest warrants, but the police misbehaved them instead. In a fits of rage, the villagers including women, overpowered policemen, had their men released and thrashed SI and other policemen and tore their uniforms.

On the report of SI, the Kotli Loharan police have registered a case against the Naib Nazim and 10 other nominated accused - Anees, Idrees, Nasir, Shama Ilyas, Sakeena Idrees, Kubra Bashir, Farzana Bibi, Rafaqat Bibi, Waqar and Khadija Bibi.