November 24, 2003	Monday	Ramazan 28, 1424

ISLAMABAD, Nov 23: Elusive Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar Sunday asked Afghans to boycott what he called the “crusader’s drama of a planned loya jirga and elections” in Afghanistan and unite to oust foreign occupation forces from their homeland, a report said.

Omar’s strongly worded appeal against the assembly of tribal leaders came on the eve of Eid al-Fitr, the Afghan Islamic Press reported.

“Beware of the crusader’s drama of planned loya jirga and elections hatched by Jews and Christians,” Omar said in the statement.

President Hamid Karzai led government plans to hold a loya jirga of 500 representatives from across the country next month to debate and approve Afghanistan’s new constitution, paving the way for 2004 presidential elections.—AFP