March 26, 2003	Wednesday	Muharram 22, 1424

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SUKKUR March 25: Pakistan should avoid being caught in the trap, which the United States had fallen into, as it will be detrimental to the country’s interests, secretary-general of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F Maulana Fazlur Rehman said on Tuesday.

He was speaking to reporters in Thul, Jacoababad district, where he had gone to condole with the family of Mukhtiar Ahmed, who had died been killed during a sit-in staged outside the Shahbaz Air Base one-and-a-half-year ago.

He said that the government was duty-bound to take the opposition into confidence in critical matters, including formulation of foreign policy and national defence strategy.

Replying to a question, he described the prime minister as being a “powerless man,” adding that the opposition’s struggle on the Legal Framework Order was aimed at retrieving the prime minister’s constitutional rights.

He said that the time was ripe for the prime minister to take initiative and relieve the US pressure on Pakistan, adding that the entire nation was now against the US and by doing so Jamali could win the popular support and strengthen democracy in the country.

Earlier, speaking at an anti-war rally staged here at the Clock Tower on Monday, Maulana Fazl said that the massive rallies held in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi had shown public support for Iraq.

Paying rich tribute to the Malaysian Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohammed, for his anti-US stance, he advised President Gen Musharraf to follow him.

Earlier, he led a procession, which was taken out from the Sukkur airport.

MMA leaders MNA Asadullah Bhutto and Khalid Mehmood Soomro and Balochistan minister Hafiz Hussain Ahmed Shordi were also present on this occasion.