PESHAWAR: March 12:Activists of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) on Sunday staged protest against the removal of Quranic verses from the curriculum and warned the government to withdraw the decision forthwith or they would launch province-wide drive against it.

Led by Jamiat Ittehadul Ulema President Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali, JI provincial vice-president Sahibzada Haroonur Rasheed, secretary information Israrullah and others, the protesters started the rally from the Al-Markaz-e-Islami on the GT Road and marched up to the Ring Road Chowk where they staged a protest meeting.

The protesters were holding banners and placards inscribed with anti-government slogans. They were also chanting slogans against the ruling party for what they termed it anti-Islam practices.

Speaking on the occasion, the leaders criticised the provincial government for the removal of Quranic verses from the textbooks. They urged the government to immediately withdraw the decision otherwise the JI would announce its future line of action at a public gathering at Batkhela on March 21.

The speakers said every step of the provincial government was aimed at appeasing the United States. They said that instead of doing the un-Islamic things the provincial government should focus attention on the welfare of the people, who are suffering the most during the last four years of the so-called democratic rule.The news.