October 7, 2002	Monday	Rajab 29, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 6: The chief of Jamaat-i-Islami and vice president of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, has allayed the fears that if voted to power, the religious alliance would bring about theocracy.

He said that the Ulema leading the alliance were educated, forward looking and voicing along with other political forces, for the restoration of 1973 Constitution”.

Talking to Dawn Qazi Hussain Ahmed said that the MMA would disband all the Jagirdaris (big land ownerships) and carry out fresh land reforms to put a limit to land holdings in the country.

The MMA leader declared, if voted to power, Pakistan would maintain the principle of peaceful co-existence with all its neighbours, America and other countries on equal footings by upholding its sovereignty and keeping national interests supreme.

He said no country including the US could be allowed to maintain airports and bases in other countries and “we will continue to oppose her presence on our and Afghanistan soil”.

To a query, he said: “We do not recognize the American installed government in Kabul as the majority of Afghans do not accept it.”

About the Kashmir issue, he said: “We believe that Kashmir is a disputed territory, whose people are fighting for its liberation from the Indian hegemony.” The militancy, he said, was the only way out left for Kashmiris as long as India was not ready to come to the negotiating table.

He, however, expressed hope that a civilian government in Pakistan would be able to ease tension between the two countries as it would be in a better position to deal with India.

Replying to a question about the politicians and political parties inviting and welcoming the military to take hold of the reigns by toppling civilian governments, the MMA leader dismissed the impression that his party had ever welcomed the military coup of Gen Musharraf.

He said: “I want to put the record straight by recalling that our party’s central executive was in session when the coup took place and it passed a resolution demanding of the military establishment to hand over the power to a civilian interim set- up.”