LAHORE, Dec 18: A grouping of right-wing parties swearing by jihad threw their bit into the political furnace in the country with a big public meeting at the Minar-i-Pakistan on Sunday.

The Difaa-i-Pakistan Conference (defence of Pakistan conference) ) was billed as a Jamaat-ud-Dawa-Jamiat-i-Ulema-Islam-S show to protest the western aggression and recent developments in ties with India.

The star speaker, JuD chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, warned the United States to avoid creating troubles for Pakistan.

Otherwise, he said, the JuD and workers of other like-minded parties knew what action to take.

“Today I send out a message to Americans. We will give you due respect as guests in line with our religion. But if you come here to deprive Pakistan of its nuclear assets, to martyr our soldiers in Mohmand Agency-like incidents, kill innocent people as Raymond Davis had done and use our country’s airbases for spying, we will defend our country with full force.”

The Difaa-i-Pakistan Council (DPC), which organised the rally in collaboration with JuD, is an alliance of some 40 parties. Their views were represented by more than a score of speakers at the meeting, which was also addressed by Awami Muslim League president Sheikh Rashid and Ijazul Haq, who heads his own faction of the Muslim League.

In his speech, Hafiz Saeed said the DPC leaders planned to meet Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and ask him to announce a date for Pakistan’s dissociation with the war and terror. He said Pakistan must end those agreements with the United States which were hurting our national interests.

The rally attracted large number of people, many of whom had come from other cities in vans and buses sporting party flags.

Around 15 mounted guards provided an added security cover to JuD Chief Hafiz Saeed.

India was another country which concerned the Dawa chief. He strongly opposed the most favoured nation status for India, repeating his old position that this would damage the Kashmir cause. He pledged to carry on with the jihad in the valley until Kashmir’s liberation.

“Let me convey it clearly: we will not only go to parliament but also encircle the Pakistani markets selling Indian goods under the MFN arrangement,” he warned.

Hafiz Saeed promised to avenge the demolishing of Babri Mosque and killing of Muslims in Gujarat and the Samjhauta Express burning a few years ago. “We also tell the Indians, the Americans and other western countries that Pakistan will be ruled by the Mohammadi order,” he said.

The DPC head and Jamiat-i-Ulema Islam (Sami) chief, Maulana Sami-ul-Haq, took oath from the participants that they will defend the country against all aggressors. He hailed the meeting as one which had achieved its objectives.

“The DPC is not a temporary alliance. It will work forever as a movement against conspirators against Pakistan,” he said.

Maulana Haq introduced the DPC also as a movement of jihad and welfare of the people that wanted to turn Pakistan into an Islamic welfare state “as envisioned by its founder, the Quaid-i-Azam.” He said the DPC had invited all religious and political parties of the country to the conference, but some ignored the invitation due to unknown reasons.

Former ISI chief Hameed Gul, who was another key speaker at the meeting, said the US was hurt by “defeat in Afghanistan” and now planned to attack Pakistan like a wounded animal. He reminded President Barrack Obama of the disastrous effects a nuclear bomb could have on anyone casting an evil eye on Pakistan.

Former federal minister Ijazul Haq said the US was trying to get out of the war on terror as it is faced with a clear defeat in Afghanistan. He criticised the Pakistan government for awarding the MFN status to a country that has perpetuated state terrorism (in Kashmir). It was Ijazul Haq who also read out a message from nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadir Khan in which Dr Khan offered to sacrifice himself for the defence of Pakistan.

In recourse to domestic politics and in an obvious reference to the possible role the DPC can play in it, former minister Sheikh Rashid told the meeting that Pakistan was threatened not by the US or India -- but some internal elements. He declared he had recently become a follower of the JuD chief Hafiz Saeed.

Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf leader Ijaz Chaudhry read out a message to the DPC conference from PTI chief Imran Khan which asked for an exposure of those behind the separation of East Pakistan in 1971. Mr Khan’s message pledged struggle for a society on the basis of justice.

Liaquat Baloch said the US was now looking for an exit after losing the Afghan war. He said now it wanted to attack Pakistan.

He asked the government and army chief to end the military operation in tribal areas. He said today’s mammoth rally was a success of religious parties.

Hafiz Ibtasam Elahi Zaheer, Maulana Nasar Javaid, , Ghulam Muhammad Saffi, Qari Abdul Latif, Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki, Dr Abul Khair, Maulana Ludhianvi and others also spoke on the occasion.