December 10, 2002	Tuesday	Shawwal 5,1423

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NOWSHERA, Dec 9: Amir of Jamaat-i-Islami and leader of MMA parliamentary party Qazi Hussain Ahmad said on Monday that the six-party alliance was opposed to pro-US policies of President Pervez Musharraf and there had been no change in the MMA’s stand vis-a-vis its opposition to any US action against Iraq.

Speaking at a big public meeting at Farooq Stadium here, the JI leader said that the MMA would not make any compromises on its election promises.

He said that the MMA was opposed to the government’s pro-American policies and would continue to support Iraq in the face of any US action against Iraq. “We will continue to oppose terrorism by the United States and repression against the weak and small countries.”

Qazi Hussain made it clear that the MMA was not against ordinary American and European citizens, rather it was against the policies of their governments towards Muslim countries.

He said that the United States unleashed a war on Afghanistan and killed thousands of innocent civilians and now it was conspiring to destroy Iraq. He said it was incumbent upon the Muslim world to oppose the US design.

Qazi Hussain criticized the US for its double standard and said that while it was targeting Iraq for allegedly having weapons of mass destruction, it continued to ignore Israel for piling up arms.

He said that the MMA would continue its struggle against growing US interference in the country.

The JI chief said that the people of NWFP had voted for the MMA as the alliance was opposed to presence of US forces in Pakistan. He said that the MMA would not tolerate the repression of defenceless people by the United States. The Jamaat leader said that after bombing Afghanistan the US had now set its sight on Iraq.

Qazi Hussain rejected the reports that the MMA had abandoned its anti-US policies and said that certain elements were spreading rumours about the alliance.

Qazi Hussain Ahmad said that the MMA would continue to hold negotiations with otheer political parties including the PML-Q and PPP to ensure supremacy of parliament and Constitution. He said that the Constitution guaranteed basic human rights, rights to the minorities and independence of judiciary.

He said that the MMA would never accept the Legal Framework Order and amendments incorporated into it by Gen Pervez Musharraf. He maintained that the LFO would have to be brought before parliament for approval to make it a part of the Constitution. Until then, he said, Pervez Musharraf could not be considered a constitutional head of the state.

The MMA leader stated that the alliance would not accept the National Security Council as a watchdog body over parliament. He said that the alliance was opposed to president’s power to dismiss an elected government and parliament under Article 58(2)(b).