Islamabad: Pakistan's largest grouping of hardline organisations held a protest in Islamabad on Monday despite a ban on some of its leaders, including Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, entering the federal capital.
Members of groups that are part of the Defa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC) gathered at Aabpara in the heart of Islamabad for the protest.
Authorities recently imposed a ban on the entry of three DPC leaders into Islamabad - Hafiz Saeed and Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamaat leaders Maulana Mohammad Ahmed Ludhianvi and Maulana Khalid Dhillon.
Following reports that Saeed and Ludhianvi had sneaked into the garrison city of Rawalpindi on Sunday, police stepped up efforts to prevent their entry into Islamabad.
Police distributed photographs of Saeed, Ludhianvi and Dhillon to all check posts in Islamabad last night and personnel were directed to detain them if they violated the ban.
Following criticism from parliamentarians for his failure to check the activities of banned groups linked to the DPC, Interior Ministry Rehman Malik directed police to prevent the grouping from organising rallies and meetings.
Subsequently, the administration of Islamabad banned the entry of Saeed, Ludhianvi and Dhillon into the city for seven days to prevent them from participating in the DPC's protest.
Despite the restrictions imposed on Saeed, Ludhianvi and Dhillon, other leaders of the DPC pledged on Sunday that their supporters would gather in Islamabad to protest against US drone attacks and the reopening of NATO supply routes.
DPC leader Maulana Samiul Haq, considered close to the Taliban, told a news conference in Rawalpindi on Sunday that the grouping would challenge the decision to ban the entry of Saeed, Ludhianvi and Dhillon into Islamabad.
At its recent rallies across the country, the DPC has mainly targeted the US and India.
Leaders like Saeed have pledged they will oppose the restoration of NATO supply routes and any move to normalise trade relations with India, including giving the nrighbouring country Most Favoured Nation-status.
Maulana Samiul Haq said the DPC would approach the Supreme Court over the government s decision to allow Pakistani airspace to be used to transport supplies to NATO troops in Afghanistan.
The conglomerate of over 40 extremist and hardline groups demanded the removal of Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar for the reopening of NATO supply routes.
Officials of Rawalpindi Police said they were unable to act against Saeed and Ludhianvi as they functioned under the control of the Punjab government, while the Islamabad Police and administration, which imposed the ban on the DPC leaders, was under the federal government.
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