The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) on Monday decided to hold a ‘million march’ in Karachi on Thursday against the Supreme Court’s recent acquittal of Asia Bibi – a Christian woman who was previously condemned to death on blasphemy charges by lower courts.
Last Wednesday, the apex court, in a landmark judgement, had accepted Asia Bibi’s appeal against her sentence, following which several religio-political parties had taken to the streets to protest, which at some places had escalated into riots.
A day later, JUI-Fazl Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, whose party is one of several that constitutes the multi-party MMA alliance, had announced that a ‘million march’ would be held in the port city, where he said “the future strategy” on the issue would be chalked out.
Rehman’s party recapitulated their plans, urging party workers to gather at Shahrah-e-Quaideen on November 8.
Thursday’s march will be Rehman’s second major political event after he headed a rally in Peshawar last Friday.
In the Peshawar rally, the JUI-F head had held the PTI government responsible for the turmoil in the wake of the SC’s verdict, and announced that his countrywide agitation would continue until the government was ousted.
Published in Daily Times, November 6th 2018.
