December 10, 2007	Monday	Ziqa'ad 29, 1428

BANNU, Dec 9: JUI (F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has accused the government of intentionally letting the situation in the tribal areas and Swat worsen, providing an excuse for the presence of the US forces in the region.

Opening his election campaign in the National Assembly constituency NA-26 in Bannu on Sunday, he said the US administration would have no reason to support Pervez Musharraf if the situation in tribal areas and Swat normalised.

He said the MMA would counter the US-led capitalist forces, who had been killing innocent people for the past several years in the name of ‘war on terror’ only to capture the region’s natural resources.

“We will counter the evil designs of the capitalist forces. We (want to) tell them that if they have the power to terrorise Muslims, we have the power to resist till the end,” he said.

Maulana Fazl said that certain elements were blaming the MMA for allowing military operations in tribal areas and Swat, but now it was clear from the statements of the army’s spokesman who said that the operation in Swat could have been conducted earlier if the provincial government had allowed it.

He said that the MMA had become not only the voice of the people of Pakistan, adding: “We would do our utmost to keep it intact”.

Former chief minister Akram Khan Durrani and JUI (F)’s district Amir Qari Mohammad Abdullah also addressed the gathering.