January 25, 2006	Wednesday	Zilhaj 24, 1426

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PESHAWAR, Jan 24: NWFP Senior Minister Sirajul Haq has demanded that the federal government should declare the United States ambassador persona non grata and expel him from the country. Speaking at a press conference at the press club, Mr Haq criticized Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz’s visit to the US, and send it was tantamount to “rubbing salt on injuries of the tribesmen who had suffered loss of lives and property in the American attack on Damadola village of Bajaur Agency on the night of Jan 13”.

He said the government had provoked the tribesmen of Bajaur by not allowing opposition leaders to visit their area. “It is against the Pukhtun tradition of hospitality. It will create bitterness among tribesmen against the government as opposition leaders were not allowed to express solidarity with them,” he said.

The minister, who was accompanied by MNA Haroonur Rasheed from Bajaur Agency, appreciated the opposition leaders’ stand on the attack.

He said that for the first time opposition leaders, including Fazlur Rehman, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Chaudhry Nisar Hussain and Imran Khan, had expressed solidarity with tribesmen and planned to visit a tribal agency.

The minister asserted that the government should raise the issue of Bajaur attack in the United Nations Security Council, as it was a violation of the UN charter and human rights.

He said it was disappointing that the armed forces and various agencies in the country had failed to thwart the aggression.

Tribesmen had lost faith in the army as it had failed to defend its territory and people against a foreign attack, Mr Haq said.

He demanded that the federal government should pay compensation to heirs of the attack’s victims.

He said that about 50 volunteers of the Jamaat-i-Islami were engaged in removing rubble and helping the affected families in the village.

He gave Rs200,000 to the MNA for the affected people.

MNA Rasheed denied that any foreigner was present on the night of the attack in Damadola. He said his home was about 2km from the houses targeted by US jets and he had buried the dead with his own hands.

“People in the neighbourhood estimated that 18 people were dead and we dug graves accordingly. Later we found out that 13 had died and five or six were injured, who were hospitalized,” the MNA said.

“There were no foreigners there. If bodies of five or six foreign militants are missing then the government should find out what happened to them,” Mr Haq said while answering a question.

Tribal elders of Bajaur will hold a protest demonstration against the attack in front of the Parliament House on Jan 27, Mr Rasheed said.