HYDERABAD, July 1: Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, Amir of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam and Secretary General of Mutahidda Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), has predicted that the government will surrender on the Kashmir issue and the country’s nuclear assets as it did on Afghanistan.

He was talking to newsmen on Monday during his visit to this city in connection with his address at the Seerat-un-Nabi Conference held at Miyani Road on Sunday night.

Criticizing strongly the change in Pakistan’s policies following the Sept 11 event, the JUI chief dispelled the impression that the government had gained anything by supporting the US-led onslaught on Afghanistan and their joint campaign against the Al Qaeda, the Taliban and other Muslim organizations.

He said that Pakistan’s armed forces had been pitted against their own people in South Wazeeristan and the operation was being described as a fight against terrorism. “It is an operation against tribesmen and not the Al Qaeda people,” he declared.

The Maulana pointed out that Kashmiris were not a party in the dispute as being described by the Musharraf government now and said that the shift in Pakistan’s policy had negated the theory of Kashmiris’ right to self-determination under the relevant UN resolutions.

He argued that the US would act as an arbitrator if Kashmiris became ‘third party’.

He opined that Washington was exerting immense pressure only on Islamabad to resolve the Kashmir because it wanted to bring its forces in the region.

Referring to India’s stand that the freedom struggle in Kashmir was terrorism, Fazl-ur-Rehman said that the US had come out with the ‘global war against terrorism’ and warned that both the countries had a common agenda.

He indicated that despite an all out war with all available means, the US had so far failed even in establishing a link between Al Qaeda and the Sept 11 event.

He was of the view that Washington had a war-based economy which could survive only when US dollar was in circulation all over the world and its weapons were in constant sale.

Turning to the package of constitutional amendments, floated by the government for public debate, Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman said that the JUI and MMA had already rejected both, the package and the Registration of Madaris Ordinance.

It described as dishonesty the government’s move to return to the people a constitution with 25 amendments. He termed the RMO-2002 a discriminatory ordinance and said it was Madaris-specific. He questioned the need for such an ordnance while the 1861 Act was in place which covers each and every organization.

The Maulana declared that the religious organization would continue to play a pivotal role in the restoration of democracy, even after the forthcoming elections, and reforming the society.

He also condemned the publication of the government’s advertisement declaring Osama bin Laden and certain other people ‘terrorists’ and said that it was part of the US plan to expand its activities in the region in name of campaign against Al Qaeda.