March 17, 2003	Monday	Muharram 13, 1424

HYDERABAD, March 16: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal’s parliamentary leader in the National Assembly, Qazi Hussain Ahmad, has termed the Legal Framework Order a personal law of President Gen Pervez Musharraf.

Talking to party activists at a reception here on Saturday night, Mr Ahmad reiterated the MMA’s demand that Pakistan should use its vote in the United Nations Security Council in favour of Iraq as that was the unanimous will of the people.

He rejected the LFO and said that the MMA was striving to empower the people.

He said that the LFO had violated the sanctity of the Constitution and added no one, except the parliament, had the authority to amend the Constitution.

He made it clear that the MMA would not accept unilateral decisions of Gen Musharraf.

The Jamaat-Islami chief said that the government should take a decision on the Iraq issue in the interest of the Muslim community.

He recalled that when the 1940 Resolution was tabled, Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah had spoken about Palestine because he was not oblivious to problems confronting Palestinian Muslims.

He said that at the present crucial juncture, no Muslim could remain impartial or indifferent.

He said that the MMA would organize more marches against a possible US attack on Iraq and added after Karachi and Rawalpindi, there would be a million-man march in Lahore.

He said that the US was the greatest terrorist as it had spread fear in the world.

He said that the MMA would continue to raise its voice against any move to take control of resources of Muslim countries.

Sindh MMA president Asadullah Bhutto, Hyderabad JI Amir Shaikh Shaukat Ali and Dr Munawwar Fawad also spoke on the occasion.

GOC: Industrialisation is vital to bring Pakistan at par with the developed countries of the world, out- going General Officer Commanding, Hyderabad, Maj Gen Tariq Saleem Malik, said on Saturday.

Speaking at a farewell reception organized by the Kotri Association of Trade and Industries, he said that Pakistan, despite being rich in natural resources, lagged in development in heavy industries because of its small base of qualified scientists, unavailability of infrastructure and unsatisfactory law and order situation.

Priorities of the government, he said, included identification and exploitation of natural resources, restoration of law and order, enhancement of industrial production and elimination of poverty and unemployment.

Chairman of the KATI Tariq Baloch said that Kotri was the second biggest industrial estate of the province, adding that 26 sick industrial units had been revived while 10 new units had been commissioned in the zone during the recent past.

Mr Baloch stressed the need for acquisition of more land for the expansion of the industrial zone and demanded of the government to pursue a consistent industrial policy, especially for the interior of Sindh.