Islam Times - Pakistanis condemn US over Qur’an burning, Balochistan bill

Islam Times - Pakistanis have demonstrated in the southern port city of Karachi the Qur’an burning at the US-run base in Afghanistan and Washington’s meddling in Pakistan’s internal affairs.

The protest rally organized by the country’s largest religious party, Jamat-e-Islami Pakistan, was held on Friday, one day after similar protests in the southwestern province of Balochistan.

Protesters chanted anti-US slogans and demanded the Pakistani government to sever all relations with the United States.

“There is a strong anti US sentiment running among the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan over its anti-Muslim policies around the world and this recent act of desecration added fuel to the fire”, said an angry protestor.

In Afghanistan, protesters took to the streets on Friday and chanted slogans against the United States and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, in a show of outrage over the burning of copies of the Holy Qur’an and other Islamic texts at the US-run Bagram Airbase, north of Kabul.

Afghanistan wants NATO to put on public trial those responsible for the Bagram Airbase incident.

Protesters have also rejected the apology made by Barak Obama over the desecration-incident and demanded an immediate withdrawal of all foreign troops from neighboring Afghanistan.

The Chief of Jamat-e-Islami in Karachi, Hussain Mehnati, said they strongly condemn the desecration of the Holy Qur’an by the US soldiers in Afghanistan, which revealed the real face of the United States.

Hussain also slammed the move of a US congressman over Balochistan as an act of meddling in Pakistan’s internal affairs.

Last week the US Congressman Dana Roghrabacher introduced a concurrent resolution in the House of Representatives seeking self-determination in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province.

He claimed a great sense of deprivation prevails among the people in the region.

The party’s senior leader Ghafoor Ahmed condemned Islamabad’s wrong policies toward Balochistan, which he said have pushed Balochistan on the verge of destruction.

Ghafoor, however, pointed out that the people of Balochistan remain patriotic and that their pro-Pakistan feelings stand beyond any doubt.

The Government should review its policies on Balochistan and should not make any further delay in giving their rights, he said, adding that the entire Pakistani nation is standing beside the people of Balochistan.