Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Ameer Qazi Hussain Ahmad on Wednesday denounced violent demonstrations and condemned the government for banning protests and rallies on the blasphemy issue saying that the public would not accept the ban. Addressing a press conference at JI headquarters in Mansoorah, Qazi Hussain accused the government of maligning religious activists without trying to get information about the miscreants. He said that if the government was sincere in punishing the vandals it could identify them with the help of video footage of the incidents telecasted by different television channels. Qazi Hussain said the government had deployed insufficient police personnel who resorted to unnecessary shelling and firing, provoking the young demonstrators. Congratulating the Lahoris for a strong protest demonstration on Tuesday, Qazi Hussain said the love for Holy Prophet (PBUH) was a precious asset for Muslims. He said that the JI had always maintained peace in its rallies and marches, adding that the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal would continue its protest programmes as announced earlier and would defy all bans imposed by the government. The JI leader said that Shan-e-Mustafa rallies would be held in Islamabad on February 19, in Lahore on February 26 and throughout the country on March 3, while rallies in Karachi and Quetta would be held on March 5 and 7.