KARACHI, June 4: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief, Imran Khan, has said that peace cannot be restored in Sindh without enforcing rule of law, which is not possible until judiciary is strengthened.

Imran Khan, who arrived here on a brief visit, addressing a press conference in a local hotel on Thursday night maintained that a durable peace was feasible only if judiciary was free to dispense justice without taking into consideration about the accused loyalties with the party in power or the opposition.

He said that in Pakistan it was repeatedly witnessed that when the people were in power they went free for all their misdeeds but when their party landed in opposition, cases were registered against them and even tried but as soon as they again occupy treasury benches, their cases were withdrawn.

Mr Khan said that the attitude of judiciary was no different in the case of terrorists, as secret agencies had been using them time to time. Referring to the Imambargah blast, he demanded of the government to close all those seminaries indulging in spreading sectarian hatred.

He said, "No doubt the religious institutions have been rendering a great service by spreading education but there are some madressahs, whose books incited hatred against other sects." He said that all such institutions should be dealt with iron hand, as they were not doing any service to Islam.

The PTI chief expressed concern over reports of contaminated water supply to people in interior of Sindh which had taken a toll of many precious lives. He demanded a high-level inquiry into the issue.

He further said that people found responsible for this negligence should be taken to task so that nobody in future should dare to play havoc with the life of people.

About elections, Mr Khan said that he did not see elections next year but in the end of year 2005. At present, he said, his party was seized with reorganizational matters from the grass root level so that the PTI could field its candidates in the coming local bodies elections.

Talking about the change in government policies after 9/11 tragedy, he said that the rulers mindset was made in Washington and whatever instructions were given to them they were implementing.

He said prior to 9/11 tragedy nobody had ever heard that madressahs were the training centres of terrorists. "So much so that President Regan had called Mujahideen from Afghanistan to the White House and entertained them eulogising their services," he said.

However, when the United States declared the same Mujahideen terrorists, our rulers obeyed the command and started handing over them to the US, he added.

Imran Khan said that voices were now being raised in the West that the increasing terrorism in the world was the outcome of the post 9/11 foreign policy of the United States.

Regarding the strike call for Friday in Karachi, he said no doubt people were justified to observe strike in view of the prevailing law and order situation. However, he added, the political parties should have realization that the economy would suffer billions of losses due to strike.