KARACHI, March 25: The top leaders of political parties have cautioned the people against machinations of the United States and underlined the imperative need for unity in their rank and file in order to face challenges.

They strongly criticized the US policies around the world, particularly in the Middle East and South Asia. The leaders said that it was the time for Muslim Ummah to remain vigilant and thwart conspiracies of the West and the US.

National Peoples Party chairman and former caretaker prime minister Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi condemned the US policies and observed that Islamic states should rise to the occasion and give sacrifice for the cause of justice.

The country was facing external and internal problems, he said and added that the government should realize gravity of the situation by taking decision which were in the supreme national interest.

He expressed these views while speaking at the reception organized in honour of the newly elected JUP President Prof Shah Faridul Haq on Thursday. In his remarks, Prof Shah Faridul Haq was also critical of the US policies and said these were against the national interest of Pakistan.

He said that people across the country were facing problems of price spiral, unemployment, deteriorating law and order situation. However, he pointed out that the government had not taken any step to solve these problems.

Speaking at the reception, the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal Senator, Prof Ghafoor Ahmed, condemned the assassination of Hamas leader Shaikh Yassin by Israeli troops. He said that the US policies were against the Islamic world. Among others, Fatehyab Ali Khan of MKP, Syed Zia Abbas of NPP, N.D. Khan of PPP and Khalil Ahmed were present at the reception. -PPI