23 May 2004	Sunday	03 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

PESHAWAR, May 22: Successive incursions of US forces in the North Waziristan has endangered the country's security, says chief of the Jamaat-i-Islami Qazi Hussain Ahmad.

He was speaking at a tribal jirga at the Al Markaz-i-Islami in Peshawar on Saturday.

Urging the government to take steps to stop incursions of the US-led coalition forces in the tribal region, he said that the government should take serious notice of territorial violations.

Qazi Hussain said that Pakistani troops, deployed along the country's western border, should be put on alert to secure their territory, adding that laxity in this regard would result in serious consequences.

Criticizing the government over the military operation in the South Waziristan region, the JI chief cautioned the government not to repeat its previous mistakes.

He said that the Jamaat-i-Islami would organise jirgas in tribal areas to discuss their problems.

Meanwhile, a delegation of the All-Pakistan Flour Mills Association, NWFP led by its president Mohammad Naeem Butt, called on Qazi Hussain Ahmad here on Saturday.

The delegation told the JI chief about the situation arising out of the ban on transportation of wheat from Punjab, said a press release.

The statement said that more than 200 flour mills had been closed in the province after the Punjab government imposed Section 144 on the movement of wheat as hundreds of people had become jobless.

Qazi Hussain assured the delegation that the matter would be discussed with the prime minister and chief minister Punjab to lift ban on wheat movement. He said that the situation would harm the interest of the country, not a particular province.