KARACHI, Jan 11: Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal's central leader and deputy chief of Jamaat-i-Islami, Prof Ghafoor Ahmad, criticizing the army operation in Wana, South Waziristan, termed it a conspiracy against army as well as the people.

Prof Ghafoor was speaking at a protest rally outside Karachi Press Club on Sunday against the army operation. The participants of the rally, holding banners and placards against the operation, were raising slogans against the US and Gen Pervez Musharraf.

The MMA leader said that the operation in the tribal areas was based on ill-founded doubts and it was being carried out against innocent people, including women and children, allegedly to please the US and its agency FBI.

He said only a few days back Gen Musharraf had secured vote of confidence from the Senate, in which tribal area senators also had participated, and without their votes it would have been difficult for the president to secure the vote of confidence.

He said that people living in tribal areas were patriots and had always defended the country, but by annoying them Gen Musharraf was making the country's western borders insecure.

Maulana Asadullah Bhutto termed the operation a conspiracy of the US and India to pit army and people against each other. Others who spoke on the occasion were Mufti Usmanyar Khan, Shaikh Rafique Ahmad, Muhammad Hussain Mehanti.