January 29, 2003	Wednesday	Ziqa’ad 25,1423

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ISLAMABAD Jan 28: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) has proposed a joint parliamentary committee of the Asian member countries of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) for adopting a unified strategy for the resolution of defence, economic and political problems being faced by the Muslim states of the region.

It demanded of the government to close down all the United States bases, put a ban on foreign agencies’ interference in the internal security matters and subject all Americans entering Pakistan to HIV test and fingerprinting.

The MMA expressed its concern over the reports that the US Gen Tomy Franks’ current visit to Islamabad was about an agreement to use Pakistani bases against Iraq. Similarly, it said Pakistan was being asked to hand over a particular coastal area in Balochistan to the US for launching an attack against Iran. Any such proposition, the alliance leaders warned, would not be in the interest of Pakistan.

The religious alliance called upon the government to convene a session of the National Assembly immediately to debate all contentious international issues, particularly the US war threat against Iraq and her demands vis-a-vis Pakistani bases.

Briefing the newsmen about MMA supreme council meeting held on Monday evening, deputy secretary generals Liaquat Baloch and Hafiz Hussain Ahmed said the council had decided to hold an All Parties Conference (APC) to discuss and take joint stand on the international issues like the US threat to Iraq, Israeli atrocities on Palestinians and Indian excesses against Kashmiris.

The alliance condemned, what it termed, undiplomatic statement of US ambassador Nancy Powell, and refused to accept her clarification.

The MMA leadership expressed grave concern over, what it said, government’s efforts to gain artificial majority in the Senate by using money and other illegal methods.