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| July 17, 2006 | Monday | Jumadi-ul-Sani 20, 1427 |
Fazl calls it a bid to weaken opposition: Govt campaign to change Hudood laws
PESHAWAR, July 16: Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that the government’s ongoing campaign against the Hudood laws is aimed at exploiting differences between the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy and Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal over the issue.
Addressing a press conference after a meeting of the MMA’s supreme council here on Sunday, he said some of the parties in the ARD had reservations on the Hudood ordinances.
He alleged that the government had ‘rented’ the service of some non-governmental organisations and so-called enlightened people against the laws. He said the government had nothing to do with the Hudood ordinances except weakening the two opposition alliances by exploiting their differences.
MMA chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed presided over the meeting.
When suggested that the MMA had made many a compromise with the federal government to save its rule in the NWFP, Maulana Fazl said: “Islamabad cannot dare dissolve the Frontier government. They know that MMA is the strongest opposition alliance in Pakistan.”
He claimed that despite hindrances the MMA government had introduced a new pattern of governance and the MMA’s leadership was satisfied with its performance.
Maulana Fazl said the federal government could not postpone general elections.
“Elections are inevitable and MMA will participate in it. We will contest the elections on the basis of our madressah degrees. No one can prevent us from doing so,” he declared.
Maulana Fazl said that the MMA’s supreme council had allowed NWFP Chief Minister Akram Durrani to attend the National Security Council meeting ‘because of objective conditions,’ but he himself had not been allowed to do so.
He said Gen Musharraf could not get himself re-elected from existing assemblies.
He denied having any difference with Qazi Hussain Ahmed on the question of resigning from the National Assembly. “We will submit our resignations to the speaker of the assembly when the supreme council decides about it,” he pointed out.
Maulana Fazl said the MMA had extended support to the government for restoring peace in Fata and added that the use of force would not resolve political issues.
He praised the reaction by NWFP Speaker Bakht Jehan Khan to what he called an undemocratic attitude of US diplomats and said the assembly could offer prayer for any Muslim, died or killed anywhere in the world. He described the attitude of US diplomats as contrary to diplomatic norms.
He said the MMA would launch its mass-contact drive on Monday.
Earlier, Chief Minister Durrani and various secretaries briefed the supreme council on the performance of the provincial government in health, education, industries and other sectors.
The MMA supreme council will meet again on Monday.
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