LAHORE: Two religious parties took out rallies on two different issues in the provincial metropolis on Sunday in violation of the recently imposed Section 144 for about 10 day in the province.
The Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), which is holding its annual three-day congregation in a Wahdat Colony ground, held an anti-corruption (eliminate corruption save Pakistan) march on Wahdat Road led by party emir Senator Sirajul Haq.
The participants marched up to Bhekhewal Morr, about one kilometer from their congregation venue.
The other rally was taken out by the Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadith (MJAH), an ally of the ruling PML-N, on Ravi Road to protest against an alleged missile attack on the holy city of Makkah by Houthi rebels in Yemen.The MJAH rally was led by Prof Sajid Mir. The police did not try to prevent the rallies for implementing the Section-144, which barred assembly of more than four people at a place.
A JI spokesman said the party had been granted permission by the authorities concerned for holding the event weeks before the imposition of Section 144.
Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah told Dawn by phone from his hometown Faisalabad the organisers had obtained a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the authorities concerned for their congregation and the rally, and the participants had no intention to go berserk.
He argued that like weddings or funeral gatherings, there was also no ban on peaceful demonstrations.
