PESHAWAR, March 11: The chief of Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), Qazi Hussain Ahmad, has asked the government-in-waiting to scrape all internal and external policies of President Pervez Musharraf and sever strategic ties with the United States of America.

Addressing a tribal jirga here on Tuesday, he expressed concern over the frequent meetings of PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N chief Mian Nawaz Sharif with the US and European diplomats.

The jirga was organised by JI to discuss the prevailing situation in tribal areas. Elders from all the seven tribal agencies and six Frontier Regions attended the jirga.

The JI chief said that PPP and PML-N should desist from President Musharraf’s policies, adding if coalition government failed to break the status quo, then masses could stand against them.

He said that US ambassador was exerting pressure on the leadership of PPP and PML-N not to oppose President Musharraf.

He said that people gave vote to both the parties to change the policies, restore constitution and judges of the superior judiciary.

“Coalition government should end military ties with the US and stop interference of Bush administration in internal affairs,” he maintained. Quoting an unnamed senior government official, he said that America and India were behind terrorist activities in the country.

He said that the president had accepted eleven demands of the US government according to which Islamabad was bound to share intelligence with the US, provide logistic facilities and the law of land would not be applicable on US citizens if they committed any crime.

Qazi said that PPP, PML-N and ANP had two-thirds majority in the Lower House and they could impeach President Musharraf easily. He asked the government in-waiting to restore the constitution and deposed judges.

He also demanded release of all the missing persons. Earlier tribal elders demanded of the government to halt military operation in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and solve the issue through negotiations.

They said that use of force had worsened law and order situation there and created complications for the administration.

They urged the government to address basic issues of the people of Fata and take elders of the area in confidence.

Elders from the South Waziristan tribal region complained that recent military operation in the Mehsud areas had caused displacement and damage to the property, but government did not provide relief and compensation to the affected people.