HYDERABAD, July 11: The secretary-general of the Jamaat-i-Islami, Syed Munawar Hassan, has called upon the Council Of Islamic Ideology not to raise any objection to the Hasba Bill which was tabled on Monday in the NWFP Assembly. He was speaking at a press conference at the Markaz-i-Tableegh-i-Islam on the Makki Shah road on Monday.

He said the MMA had finalized formation of a grand alliance with other opposition parties to launch a movement against General Pervez Musharraf.

He said the agenda and slogan of the alliance were also decided and they would soon be disclosed to people.

He said the MQM which he blamed was a “fascist party” and the people who had left the PML-N and the PPP were supporting the unconstitutional president.

JI leader alleged that the ruling coalition had planned to resort to rigging during the local body elections.

He said in the presence of Ishratul Ebad Khan as the governor of Sindh, free and fair elections would not be hold.

He said the MMA would make seat adjustments with the PPP.

He said those who were opposing the Hasba Bill were in fact rejecting the provincial autonomy enshrined in the 1973 Constitution.

He said it was tantamount to depriving provinces of their right of autonomy.

“The CII should not raise objections to the Hasba Bill as it did not raise any objection to the formation of the NSC and when army took active part in politics”, he said.

He said the bill which would become a law in accordance with teachings of Quran and Sunnah would help in dealing the issues of joblessness and lawlessness.

He wondered why Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain was speaking against the bill though he had given his consent to the MMA but now after reaching Islamabad he was issuing anti-bill statements at the instance of establishment.

The JI leader criticized the foreign policy of the country and said the MMA would not let the country become a colony of America.

He said the country had already lost its friend Afghanistan and our forces were present on its border.

He said the Foreign Office should obtain guarantees from the UK government that Muslims would be protected against any violent act and retaliation.

He criticized Pakistan’s overtures of friendships towards India while the latter had unleashed a reign of terror against Kashmiris.

He said the inflation stood at 45 per cent and the price control committee should work within its purview instead of proposing import of onions and potatoes from India.