March 14, 2003	Friday	Muharram 10, 1424

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RAWALPINDI, March 13: The local chief of Muttahida Majlis-i- Amal (MMA) has accused the government of resorting to negative tactics against the alliance for opposing its policies.

The MMA Rawalpindi Amir, Maulana Abdul Jalil Naqvi, was speaking at a reception hosted for journalists.

He said the religious parties’ alliance won’t come under any kind of pressure. “The malicious propaganda of linking the MMA to Al Qaeda was part of the government’s propaganda against the religious parties,” he added.

He said all the component parties of the MMA had a good track record and the alliance could not be browbeaten by such pressure tactics.

He regretted that the government instead of openly opposing any US-led aggression on Iraq had yet to clarify its position thus creating ambiguity in the minds of people.

The prime minister should have openly declared in his speech that Pakistan would vote against any US resolution in the UN Security Council regarding attack on Iraq, he said adding this would have been in accordance with people aspirations.

Mr Naqvi said Iraq was passing through a difficult phase of its history with threats of destruction looming large and the possible dangers to its integrity.