KARACHI, April 20: Central secretary-general of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal Maulana Fazlur Rehman said on Tuesday that the MMA workers would offer resistance if the government or the Muttahida Qaumi Movement tried to rig the byelections in Sindh.

He claimed that the MMA would sweep byelections in Sindh as it did in the NWFP and Balochistan by defeating feudal lords. The Maulana was speaking at a press conference at Idara Noor-i-Haq. "It is the responsibility of all of us to vote for the MMA to face the US aggression towards Islam and Muslim states," he said.

"We can demand deployment of armymen for the elections, but we oppose any role for army in politics," he said. He also demanded that the rangers and other law-enforcement agencies be deployed wherever there was apprehension of any disturbance. He said that the government had accepted the claim that the leader of the opposition should be from MMA's side.

About Wana operation, he said if jirga was given an opportunity and no operation was launched there, the problem would be resolved. "Our own land is being put into fire just on the desire of the US."

He said Islamic values were being attacked by changing the curriculum, but the US would not be allowed to succeed in its efforts. Replying to a question, he said talks were on with the ARD for joint nominations in byelections.

Prof. Ghafoor Ahmed of Jamaat-i-Islami said: "We have been time and again expressing our apprehensions that the provincial government would rig the elections and use police and rangers, but the federal government is not taking any notice of our apprehensions."

Hafiz Hussain Ahmed said that the Muttahida was claiming that it would easily win seats in the byelections, because it had already been assured by the federal government that poll results would be engineered.

"If elections are held in a free and transparent manner, people would see that those making tall claims would be defeated in the way Sheikh Rashid was defeated," he asserted.

He said that the 17th amendment had benefited the ARD, because after its results corrupt judges left the judiciary and new judge gave a decision in favour of Shahbaz Sharif's return.

He said practically there was a governor's rule in Sindh and the chief minister, Sardar Ali Mohammad Mahar, was among the oppressed ones. "We demand the election commission to impose a ban all transfers and postings before bypolls," he said. Shah Faridul Haq, chief of JUP and Hafiz Hussain Ahmed also spoke. -PPI