PESHAWAR, Feb 6: Chief of Jamaat-i-Islami Qazi Hussain Ahmad has claimed that the military leadership has made nuclear scientists scapegoats to save its skin.

"Scientists made Pakistan the world's seventh nuclear state, while army generals exploited the country's resources by occupying lands, trade and industrial units," Qazi said while speaking at a protest rally here at Kabuli Chowk on Friday.

The JI has given a call for countrywide strike to protest against the detention of scientists and a presumed deal on the country's nuclear programme. However, the general public ignored the JI's strike call as city's business centres, markets and bazaars remained open. A small number of Jamaat's workers assembled at Kabuli Chowk before Friday prayers who were addressed by Qazi Hussain Ahmad and other leader of the party.

Other components of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) including Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam faction of Maulana Fazl Rehman didn't turn up to attend the protest meeting.

Qazi Hussain Ahmad in his speech criticized the government's stand regarding nuclear proliferation and alleged that President Gen Pervez Musharraf and his aides were bent upon humiliating the national heroes.

He claimed that he talked to Dr Khan by phone on Saturday evening and discussed with him the latest situation. "I have left the matter at God's disposal," he said Dr Khan told him.

"I told Mr Khan, we are still with you in spite of extracting a mock confessional statement from you," Qazi Hussain said and added that earlier the architecture of the country's nuclear programme had promised to disclose all details in a public meeting, if the government continued pressure on him.

Paying tribute to Dr Khan and his team, he said that scientists had made the country's security impregnable and maintained balance of power in the region by developing nuclear devices.

He said Gen Musharraf had put the national security at stake by exposing nuclear scientists to theinternational agencies. He feared that the scope of investigation could be extendedto army officials after the debriefingoftop scientists.

He maintained that the IAEA chief Mohammad ElBaradei had already stated that "Dr Khan is the tip of an iceberg and investigations can be widened further."

He said that without nuclear technology the national security was incomplete, adding that the nation would not allow generals to compromise on the country's strategic assets.

He also warned that US forces might enter the tribal belt in pursuit of Al Qaeda and Taliban fighters.

He also said that the nation would not accept any deal between Musharraf and Vajpayee on Kashmir, if the people of the held valley were bypassed in the settlement of the core issue.

HARIPUR: Trader community observed shutter down strike here on Friday.