Fazl warns of Jihad over tribal action: Issue can be resolved within days
By Our Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD Sept 11: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) Secretary-General and leader of opposition in the National Assembly, Maulana Fazl-ur-Rahman warned on Saturday that the moment the MMA gave a call to tribesmen to wage a jihad against state atrocities, the country would turn into another Iraq.
Speaking at a protest rally against US policies towards the Muslim world, especially after the Sept 11 attacks on its landmarks, the Maulana strongly condemned the firing of guided missiles by the Pakistani forces and airstrikes against tribesmen which killed a large number of people.
He said the MMA had stopped the tribesmen from starting a guerilla war against the Pakistan Army in tribal areas. He claimed that MMA representatives from tribal areas could resolve the matter within days by holding talks with tribesmen.
The Maulana concentrated only on tribal turmoil and did not touch the issue of president's army uniform.
He said the Shakai agreement had been achieved by MMA's elected representatives when the army, in its desperation, sought the help of the Alliance but the arrangement was later spoiled by what he called foolish actions of security forces in the area.
He claimed that Gen Musharraf was serving American interests and he was using armed forces against his own people and South Waziristan Agency was no exception.
Rejecting allegations that the MMA had links with Al-Qaeda, he accused the Pakistan Army Generals of having trained the Mujahideen during the Afghan war and said these very Mujahideen were now being dubbed as members of the said terrorist organization.
The Maulana said that so far as the responsibility of the Sept 11 attacks on the World Trade Centre and other US landmarks was concerned, the US investigation report had exonerated Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar from any direct involvement in these attacks.
He accused Gen Musharraf of having sacrificed national interests and national pride after just one telephone call from Washington and said the General was incapable of defending the country.
In fact, he said, the policy of submission adopted by Gen Musharraf had made Pakistan's defence vulnerable to foreign threats.
He said the army could not resolve any issue in tribal areas and rather its inept incursions into the area would aggravate the situation in tribal areas to a point of no return.
The leader of the opposition expressed solidarity with the people of Palestine, Kashmir and Iraq as according to him they were victims of vindictive policies of anti-Islam forces.
Referring to recent raids on various seminaries, including a couple in Islamabad and one in Quetta, the Maulana warned that ulema and religious students were capable of defending themselves against aggressive actions of authorities.
Mian Muhammad Aslam, an MNA from Islamabad, alleged that airports in the country had been handed over to global terrorists.
He said the sanctity of holy places in Iraq and elsewhere was under threat from enemies of Islam while the UN Security Council had failed to ensure justice to oppressed Muslim nations.
