KARACHI, Nov 10: The Palestinian and Iraqi questions cannot be resolved without sincere leaderships in the Muslim countries. The present rulers in these countries are more interested in safeguarding the interests of Washington - thereby prolonging their own rules - rather than in the interests of the Muslims.

This was stated at a seminar on Wednesday by speakers who urged the people to rid themselves of the present rulers and to promote a leadership that was devoted to the cause of Muslims. The seminar, titled "Palestine and Iraq", was organized by the Islamia Students Organization (ISO) in a local hotel in connection with the "Liberation of Al-Quds Week".

Mamnoon Hussain, former governor of Sindh and Secretary-General of the provincial chapter of PML-N, Maulana Shabbir Masimi, Dr Mairaj-ul-Huda Siddiqui, Zubair Khan, Vice-President of the Sindh chapter of Tehreek-i-Insaf, Sikandar Hayat, the chief organizer of the Muslim Conference Sindh, Jawwad Haider, Divisional President of the ISO, and Haider Zaidi, its secretary, were among those who spoke on the occasion.

One of the resolutions adopted at the seminar expressed complete solidarity with the oppressed Palestinians and condemned the attempts by Israel and the United States to impose a puppet leadership on the Palestinians. The Hamas and Hezbollah represented the genuine leadership of the Palestinians, it added.

Through another resolution that announced support for all Islamic liberation movements in the world, the seminar condemned the brutal oppression and massacre by the US in Iraq and extended support to the Mujahideen there.

The seminar also condemned the threats hurled against Iran by the United States and Israel and reiterated the pledge to be in the vanguard of the proposed 20-million-strong 'Liberation of Al-Quds Army'.

Mamnoon Hussain said Pakistanis, being Muslims, should raise a voice against the ongoing oppression in Palestine and Iraq. He said it was futile to expect positive responses from the US on issues like Palestine, Kashmir, Afghanistan and Iraq and expressed apprehension that after Iraq Washington would turn its attention towards the Islamic campaigns in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Syria, Egypt, Jordan and Yemen.

Dr Mairaj-ul-Huda Siddiqui, Maulana Shabbir Masimi and Zubair Khan also spoke.