06 November 2004	Saturday	22 Ramazan 1425

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KARACHI, Nov 5: Chief of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal Qazi Hussain Ahmad has said that the opposition alliance had provided Gen Musharraf a dignified way to get Pakistan rid of US slavery while representing a civilian government. But the general, by insisting on remaining in uniform, disregarded the gesture, he regretted.

He was addressing guests at an Iftar party at a hall near Hill Park here on Friday. Local ARD leaders, including Mamnoon Hussain and Basharat Mirza, were among those who were present on the occasion.

Talking to newsmen later, Qazi Saheb referred to the miseries being faced by people and stressed that the only way to resolve the problems of increasing unemployment and poverty was to oust those who were pursuing pro-US policies.

He claimed that masses were fed up with the Musharraf government's policies which was proud of making Pakistan a frontline state in the so called war on terrorism sponsored by the US. He condemned Gen Musharraf for affiliating Pakistan with 'the biggest terrorist' against the wishes of the people of Pakistan who did not want their country to remain a US ally.

Referring to the MMA's planned rallies on Nov 28, Dec 5, Dec 12 and Dec 19 in Karachi, Multan, Lahore and Rawalpindi respectively, he warned the government against making any attempt to sabotage the programme.

'If any such attempt is made, the public meetings would turn into street protests," he said. Qazi Saheb said that law and order in Karachi was deteriorating and it appeared as if the city was in control of dacoits and hooligans.

In reply to a question, he said that in the past, some generals had taken advantage of popular movements but this time, there was no possibility of the imposition of Martial Law because people were fed up with military rulers. "The MMA movement, set to be launched, would culminate in the introduction of Islamic system through Islamic revolution in the country," he declared.

Earlier, speaking at the Iftar party, the MMA chief deplored Gen Musharraf for pursuing 'US roadmap' and vowed to resist his agenda tooth and nail. He said that military operation in South Waziristan, attacks on mosques and seminaries, introduction of secular education system and other such moves were aimed only at curtailing influence of the religious parties and institutions in the country.

He said that in the name of the 'new world order', the US authorities were trying to impose American culture, education, economic system, political system and lifestyle all over the world.

Contesting the government's contention that it could not run the country's affairs without US aid, he said argued that if this was actually the case, the flow of wealth would have been from rich to the poor states.

However, he pointed out, the ground reality negated this. He observed that the poor states were getting poorer and rich richer because the wealth was flowing from poor states to rich ones.

About the just concluded US election, Qazi Saheb expressed the view that there was no difference between Mr Bush and Mr Kerry as both of them had to carry forward the policies of Indo-Zionist lobbies and pursue the agenda of protecting Israel.

The MMA chief claimed that Gen Musharraf was bent upon keeping Pakistan as an ally of the United States which forced Pakistan to surrender Kashmir and maintain peaceful ties with India.