PESHAWAR, March 31: Speakers at a seminar have denounced the US-led invasion of Iraq and called for bipolar system to maintain the balance of power in the world politics and ensure sovereignty of smaller countries.

They were of the view that the US-led war on Iraq was neither a crusade nor a clash of civilizations, but it was a war of economic interests.

The day-long seminar, entitled “US war on Iraq and its impact on Muslim Ummah”, was organized by the Peshawar Press Club on Monday.

Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal leaders Qazi Hussain Ahmad and Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Awami National Party provincial chief Nasim Wali Khan, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan chairman Afrasiab Khattak and academicians attended the seminar.

Mr Rehman said that the downfall of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics had a drastic impact on world politics and United States of America emerged as a sole supper power.

In the aftermath of communism’s fall, he observed, US and its western allies introduced the philosophy of “Globalization” to usurp the natural resources of the third world countries and curtail their freedom.

He said that the globalization had endangered sovereignty of smaller countries.

The MMA leader said that the western countries had awarded greater role to international bodies like International Monterey Fund to chain the developing countries under the garb of financial agreements and Washington was declared a base power of the new world order.

Mr Rehman said that international community needed a new world order which should be based on peace, equal share in resources and to respect national sovereignty of all states. America was blackmailing western countries in the name of Islamic terrorism, he added.

He said that US had planned to subjugate the entire world in order to capture natural resources and attacked Iraq without getting the UN Security Council’s mandate.

He said that the US had no evidence of the involvement of Osama bin Laden or the Taliban in the 9/11 terrorist act, but President Bush administration declared war on Afghanistan and by pursuing his intention of introducing new colonialism targeted Iraq.

MMA vice-president and Jamaat-i-Islami chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad said that the imperialist forces had two objectives — economic exploitation and impose their own culture on the less developed countries.

He said that the old imperialist system had collapsed and new changes were taking place in the Islamic world, which had caused an unrest in those regions. The Muslim rulers clinging to the old socio-economic system, a legacy of the colonial period, had left them with no other option to support the unilateral power, the US.

He said when western countries realized that their system could not pull along, they (west) started using power to crush revolutionary elements.

Mr Ahmad said that the imperialists did not have the spirit of Jihad which was an edge over the west. He stressed that the Muslim world should achieve modern technology and would have to bring new political leadership.

Time was running out as the US had imposed sanctions on Kahuta Research Laboratories, he said, adding that the nation should prepare itself for new challenges.

The JI chief said that Washington wanted to break away the eastern province of Saudi Arabia to capture oil resources of the kingdom.

ANP provincial chief Nasim Wali Khan said that the UN had failed to fulfil its responsibilities and UN Security Council disappointed the international community.

After the US attack against Iraqi, she said, UN Secretary- General Kofi Annan should tender resignation and the countries which opposed the war on Iraq were morally bound to quit the international body.

She said that Arab countries should immediately stop oil supply to the US-led forces, Muslim countries including Iran and Syria should give up apologetic attitude and big powers should take action against America to stop the war on Iraq.

America wanted to rule the entire globe, she said, adding that the world at such a stage needed bipolar system to maintain peace and security.

HRCP chairman Afrasiab Khattak said that the US was thinking about Greater Middle East including Central Asian States to occupy oil resources.

He believed that without the power of knowledge, stable economy and strong democratic institutions the developing countries particularly Islamic states could not face the new challenges.

He said that they should promote democratic culture in society and military should hand over power to the elected representatives. He proposed that the government should work on regional alliances to bring peace and stability in the region.

He said that India had adopted very clear stand on Iraq issue while Pakistan could not do so and asked Islamabad to convene UN Security Council meeting to stop the war on Iraq.

The former vice-president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Barrister Baacha, said that the US forces were destroying the world civilization by attacking Iraq.

He said that the war on Iraq would not only effect the Muslim states but also have a negative impact on the western culture.

He said that the so-called war on terrorism in Afghanistan encouraged the US to attack Iraq.