KARACHI, April 9: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal leadership on Thursday rejected the National Security Council, saying it was "rigged through the National Assembly". They said the law was a violation of the Constitution.
The assertion was made by MMA leaders while addressing a big public meeting at Annu Bhai Park in Nazimabad on Thursday night which was the last meeting of the alliance's mass contact drive in Sindh aimed at mobilizing public opinion against the army operation in tribal areas and other policies of Gen Pervez Musharraf.
Besides acting MMA president Qazi Hussain Ahmed, other speakers at the meeting were Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, deputy parliamentary leader of MMA in the National Assembly, Prof Shah Faridul Haque, president of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, Allama Hasan Turabi, Sahibzada Dr Abul-Khair Zubair, Hafiz Mohammad Taqi, Maulana Omar Sadiq, Dr Mairajul Huda Siddiqui, Nasrullah Shaji and others.
By one of the two resolutions adopted at the public meeting, the meeting expressed concern over deteriorating law and order situation in Karachi while by other resolution, the government policies were condemned as these are resulting in price spiral and increasing unemployment which has made life of common man miserable.
Almost all speakers criticized the Wana operation and rejected the policies of Gen Musharraf. Criticizing the government for using the Pakistan Army against their own people, they said Gen Musharraf was following a US agenda.
The MMA chief said the government was pursuing a policy of divide and rule by promoting sectarianism and regional and linguistic parties to curtail the influence of national-level political parties, and when the smaller parties went beyond their control, factions were created within to rein them in.
Terming the Bush administration policies as anti-Muslim, Qazi Hussain Ahmed said when Pakistan was in Seato and Cento, the US never came to its rescue when Bangladesh was created and now banking on US help by getting non-member friendly status of NATO would be another blunder.
The MMA chief also referred to the byelections in Karachi scheduled for May 12 and said the Muttahida Qaumi Movement had vacated three seats of the National Assembly with the confidence that the party would be able to regain seats in by elections. This confidence, he said, was not based on the support of the people but on Gen Pervez Musharraf and the Rangers.
Prof Shah Faridul Haque said the country was standing at a crossroads and the present government had added its difficulties. "We don't recognize any government which acts on the dictates of the US", he added.
Hafiz Hussain Ahmed said the Wana operation was a pretext for the US to enter the region but it should be made clear that over 10 million tribal Muslims knew how to defend their country.
