28 June 2004	Monday	09 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

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PESHAWAR, June 27: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam has termed the resignation of Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali and nomination of Chaudhry Shujaat as caretaker prime minister and that of Shaukat Aziz as the next prime minister a major blow to democracy , saying that these decisions have showed the US influence on Pakistan's politics.

In a press statement issued here on Sunday, provincial president of JUI Maulana Amanullah, general secretary Maulana Gul Nasib Khan and information secretary Abdul Jalil Jan said that President Musharraf had violated the sanctity of parliament through this decision.

They alleged that President Musharraf had been imposing decisions of the US on the nation. The declaration of Shaukat Aziz as next prime minister had proved that the country had virtually been handed over to the US, they claimed.

They said by ignoring the 300 MNAs and announcing the name of a senator as the future prime minister, the president had insulted the National Assembly.

The JUI leaders observed that Mr Jamali had been punished for the brave stand that he had adopted regarding changes in the blasphemy law. They also condemned the ban on entry of the MMA leader into Sindh, saying that the expulsion of opposition leader Maulana Fazlur Rahman from Karachi was a stigma in the name of democracy.-PPI