July 17, 2008	Thursday	Rajab 13, 1429

KARACHI, July 16: Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain has called upon the government and all political and religious parties to refrain from issuing provocative statements against foreign powers so as not to provide them an excuse to attack Pakistan.

Presiding over a party meeting in London, Mr Hussain said he had warned the people at the helm of affairs towards deteriorating situation in tribal areas and stressed that it might be too late if immediate steps were not taken to reverse the situation. According to an MQM press release issued here on Wednesday, he said his apprehensions had come true and US political and military leaders and Afghan President Hamid Karzai had said they would no longer hold talks or share intelligence with Pakistan, but take unilateral actions in tribal areas which were being used by local Taliban for terrorist attacks in Afghanistan.

Mr Hussain said that Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani himself had acknowledged that tribal areas were harbouring Uzbek, Chechan and other foreign terrorists who were committing acts of terrorism in Afghanistan.

He said if the government did not take effective stops to address the issue of terrorism, the US-led Nato forces would attack Fata which would have detrimental effects for the country.

He said the legal fraternity should realise that the country was facing a serious threat on its borders and lawyers must consider whether their priority should be to join the struggle to save the country or to continue the movement for judges’ reinstatement.

Mr Hussain appealed to the PML-N and PPP to resolve their differences and take all coalition partners and opposition parties into confidence on issues threatening the existence of the country.

“There are reports that our nuclear assets are in danger, but instead of realising the gravity of the situation we are busy in making tall claims about hoisting the national flag on the Red Fort in Delhi. In a similar situation in 1971 we lost half of our country. We must refrain from issuing provocative statements and adopt a sensible political approach,” he said.

Mr Hussain offered his party’s unconditional support to the government and defence institutions for the country’s safety and security.