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| November 12, 2001 | Monday | Shaba’an 25, 1422 |
JI, JUI urge govt to withdraw support to US
SWABI, Nov 11: The Taliban have become victims of international terrorism and Osama bin Laden’s indictment in the attacks in New York and Washington has provided US-led coalition with an opportunity to target the Islamic system and the Muslims around the world.
Jamaat-i-Islami and Pak-Afghan Defence Council leaders said this, while speaking at a public meeting, held here on Sunday after a protest demonstration.
“This war could be termed a war between the Muslims and the infidels”, said the speakers, who included NWFP JI chief former MNA Gohar Rehman, Shabab-i-Milli Pakistan chief Siraj-ul-Haq, SMP general secretary Prof Mohammad Ibrahim Khan and former JUI-F general secretary Shabir Ahmed Khan.
They announced that they had joined the PADC and expressed their readiness to provide all kinds of support to the Taliban.
Prof Ibrahim said, “The US and the Taliban have not recognized each other, there is no extradition treaty between the two countries and the American-labelled prime suspect, Osama bin Laden, has not been declared criminal by a court. The demand of handing over Osama to the US, therefore, was against the international law.”
He said one could easily conclude from the American strategy that the US had drawn a long-term plan and that it was looking for just a pretext to wage war against Islam.
He called upon the military regime to either reconsider its decision of providing five air bases and other logistic support to the US-led coalition or confront the anger of the nation.
He was of the view that due to the “wrong approach” of the government, Pakistan remained isolated, Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban had turned foes, Iran was already in an opposite camp, China was annoyed while India was Pakistan’s number one enemy.
Prof Ibrahim said there was a grave threat to Pakistan’s nuclear programme from the Americans and the Jews, who, he added, had launched a propaganda campaign that Pakistan’s nuclear bombs might go into the hands of extremists.
The JI provincial chief demanded withdrawal of all cases against his party chief, Qazi Hussain Ahmad, and JUI chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman.
He called for an