PESHAWAR, Jan 14: The provincial shura of Jamaat-i-Islami has urged the government to restore fundamental rights of people and set up an independent election commission to hold general elections under article 62 and 63 of the constitution.

The meeting held on Al Markaz-i-Islami on Monday, criticized the foreign policy, saying the “apologetic statements” by President Gen Pervez Musharraf had disappointed the people, though the armed forces, it pointed out, had the capability to thwart the Indian adventurism.

The meeting said the government had no evidence to support its allegations against religious organizations that they were involved in the Dec 13 terrorist attack in New Delhi. The action to ban those groups had been taken at the behest of America, it added.

In a press release, the JI leadership said that India was enjoying full support of the United States and Britain which had completely ignored the Kashmir freedom movement and violation of human rights there. Besides, it added, the US had signed a defence agreement with India and both countries would soon start military exercises.

Through a unanimous resolution, the JI asked the government to take religious organizations into confidence, stop crackdown on Jihadi groups and release JI chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad and JUI leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

The shura called upon the government to support the freedom movement in occupied Kashmir, protect the nuclear programme, ask the US to withdraw its forces from bases in Pakistan, strengthen relations with China, restore the fundamental rights of people and avoid making Pakistan a secular state.

The Jamaat stressed interim government of Afghanistan to release the Pakistanis detained in that country.