PESHAWAR: Members of the NWFP Assembly on Friday marched from the Assembly Hall to the main entrance amid slogans of “Allah-o-Akbar” and “al-jihad, al-jihad” to protest against the army airstrike on a madrassa in Bajaur Agency and for showing solidarity with the people of the area. The protesting MPAs, including the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) ministers Asif Iqbal Daudzai, Shah Raz Khan, Hafiz Akhtar Ali and Malik Zafar Azam, pledged to continue the war against the “imperialist United States”, which they said, was responsible for the killing of innocent Muslims across the world. The NWFP legislators shouted pro-Islamic revolution and anti-Musharraf and Bush slogans during the march.
The MMA’s Maulana Muhammad Idrees, Farid Khan and Amanat Shah denounced a statement by the White House spokesman lauding President Musharraf for taking action against the madrassa. “It’s like rubbing salt in somebody’s wounds,” said Idrees while criticising the government role in the war against terrorism. Traffic on Khyber Road where the assembly’s main entrance is located remained blocked for sometime as the protesting lawmakers made speeches.
Earlier, the MMAÂ’s Nadir Shah demanded adjournment of the session for the day to express solidarity with the people of Bajaur Agency and the families of the 80 people killed in the air raid. ShahÂ’s demand was backed by members of the Awami National Party (ANP).