ISLAMABAD, April 4: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) on Monday submitted an adjournment motion in the National Assembly Secretariat against the April 3 clash in Gujranwala which left 45 injured. The religious alliance, in its motion, said despite stiff opposition from public representatives and people of Gujranwala a marathon race was organized in which thousands of semi-nude women and men were participating.

The motion has been signed by MNAs Liaquat Baloch, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, Qazi Hameedullah, Dr Sahibzada Abul Khair Mohammad Zubair, Dr Farida Ahmed, Samia Raheel Qazi, Dr Farid Paracha, Asadullah Bhutto, Dr Attaur Rahman, Qari Gul Rahman, Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali, Mian Mohammad Aslam, Maulana Abdul Malik, Aisha Kaniz Aisha, Maulana Nasib Ali Shah, Hafiz Salman Butt and Shahida Akhtar Ali.

It said the people of the town appealed to the Gujranwala administration to cancel this programme but instead the peaceful citizens were fired upon as a result of which 45 people, including MNA Qazi Hameedullah, sustained injuries.

The motion stated: “Pakistan was achieved in the name of Islam and the government was duty bound under article 31 of the Constitution to promote Islamic values as top priority but instead the government in clear violation of the Constitution organized such a function against the popular sentiments of the people and thereby insulted the established noble people’s values and tradition.”

The MMA described the incident as worst state terrorism, rebellion against the Constitution, state and established Muslim values and traditions which had attracted lot of public concern.

Our Reporter from Pindi adds: The Gujranwala incident should be an eye- opener for those who advocate the policy of appeasement towards extremist elements, said Pakistan Muslim League (PML) Vice- President Syed Kabir Ali Wasti.

In a statement here on Monday, he said the MMA mob in Gujranwala went to the extent of preventing such an innocent activity as a marathon race for women; used force to disrupt the event and even resorted to firing and arson,” Mr Wasti said.

He said the ground conceded by the government in accepting the demand for revival of religion column in passports had emboldened the MMA to use the violent means for pushing their extremist agenda. They want to take the country back to the mediaeval ages and arrest the march of history, he said.

The PML leader said the president lacked an effective political team in tune with the modern requirements of a Muslim society and the concept of enlightened moderation. “Many of these people have sympathy with fanatics and obscurantists who are hell-bent on imposing their distorted and extremist interpretation of Islam.”

Mr Wasti said the president wasted a lot of time by merely voicing pious wishes to take the country out of the abyss to which Ziaul Haq had pushed it by exploiting the name of Islam in order to advance his personal political agenda. He wavered over such crucial issues as the blasphemy laws, the Hudood ordinance and the law against honour killing. No steps have been taken to review these laws, he added.

He said the president had to be firm to rid the country of extremism, for which he had the support of a vast majority of the masses. The MMA must also purge itself of extremist elements who are promoting anarchy and chaos.

Mr Wasti said the president must also dispel the perception that the coercive power of the state and government was meant only to suppress political workers and leaders while the extremists are being treated leniently.