HYDERABAD, Nov 10: Federal Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider has categorically denied that the airports facilities provided to the Americans were being used for combatant action and said that the facilities had been made available only for non-combatant purposes— for search and rescue operations.

He was speaking at an open katchery of Nazims, Naib Nazims and councillors of Hyderabad district at Mumtaz Mirza auditorium of Sindh Museum here on Saturday.

Mr Haider regretted the loss of life in Afghanistan and said that President Gen Pervez Musharraf had repeatedly urged that the on-going campaign in Afghanistan should be short and political solution of the crisis should be evolved as soon as possible.

He said the president had also made the point of view of the religious parties and the sentiments of the people clear to America and UK.

The interior minister said that the decision taken by the government on Afghan issue was in the best interest of the country and added that there was no other option available.

He criticized the role of the religious parties and rejected their propaganda that our strategic assets were in danger.

He said that the armed forces and the people of the country had sacrificed a lot for the nuclear programme and it was simply unthinkable that Gen Musharraf could ever compromise on our strategic assets.

He said that the religious leaders who were also the leaders of political parties, had failed to realise their responsibilities and sometimes they were threatening to stage sit-in in Islamabad and at other times inciting the army to rebellion. by saying that it was Islamic army.

He wondered what did these religious leaders want to achieve.

Mr Haider reiterated that action would be taken under the law against those religions leaders who were trying to spread dissension among the people and creating confusion.

He said that Pakistan was the only Islamic country among 57 Muslim countries which was a nuclear power and it was playing a positive role to provide leadership to Muslim nations.

Talking about Jihad, he wondered why Mullah Mohammad Umer and Osama bin Laden were calling the people of Pakistan for Jihad, whose primary duty was to protect the interests of Pakistan.

He asked why did not they call three million Afghan people living in Pakistan and tens of thousands living in Iran to fight in Afghanistan.

He said that the Pakistani people should only heed the advice of their own Ameer.

He also dispelled the propaganda that the Afghan war was clash between civilizations or war against the Muslim world.

Referring to the local bodies election, federal interior minister said that no plan could be perfect and added that some problems might have erupted after the introduction of this system.

He called upon the elected representatives to identify the bottlenecks which could be reviewed.

He reminded the elected representatives that they represented not only those people who had voted for them but even those who had not voted for them.

He said that they had to play a leading role in the development of the country and in eliminating sectarianism and ethnicity.

He said that DCO, police and elected people were required to work as a team and stressed the need for cooperation between them.

He said that the Police Act would be promulgated by December and added that no extra ordinary powers would be given to police.

Amid applause and clapping, Mr Haider said that any police officer who was found guilty of committing excesses against people would be sent to prison for five years.

He condemned religious extremism and said that Islam preached peace, moderation and tolerance.

He said that politics in the name of Islam and resorting to looting, arson and violence were alien to Islam and those people who indulged in such activities were the enemies of the religion and the country.

Referring to the Bahawalpur tragedy, he said that it might have been masterminded by India but added that Islam did not allow massacre of people belonging to other religions.

He said that today the world leaders stood with Pakistan and they were extending long term cooperation.

Mr Haider predicted economic stability in the country by December and said that the government stood by its commitments of holding general elections on schedule come what may.

Sindh Chief Secretary Mr Javed Ashraf, IGP Syed Kamal Shah, Hyderabad district Nazim Dr Makhdoom Rafiquzzaman, Naib Nazim Nawab Rashid Ali Khan, DCO Mohammad Ayub Tariq and senior officials were also present.

HUNGER STRIKE: The activists of Sindh Peoples Students Federation (SPSF) observed token hunger strike outside the Hyderabad press club here the other day against the continued detention of Asif Ali Zardari.