Pakistan's military government has invited Islamic leaders for talks after a number of the groups threatened public protests, officials said Wednesday.
Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider told reporters here Tuesday he had invited all prominent religious leaders to the meeting on January 13 in Islamabad to seek their cooperation in maintaining law and order.
"No one will be allowed to break the law and government will take all measures to maintain peace in the country," the minister said.
The main fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami has announced a campaign starting in January to protest against the government for pardoning convicted former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and exiling him to Saudi Arabia earlier this month.
Another religious party, Tanzeemul Ikhwan, has threatened to organise a march on Islamabad to press for the enforcement of Islamic Sharia law.
Tanzeemul Ikhwan's chief, Akram Awan, had called the march for January 27, but postponed it until March after Religious Affairs Minister Mahmood Ghazi reportedly assured him steps were being taken to implement Sharia.
Awan has said thousands of his followers were ready to participate in a pro-Sharia march on the capital -- KARACHI (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
