LAHORE, Oct 30: The military government has warned the Jamaat-i-Islami against its march on Islamabad, saying it will not allow the party to stage a sit-in and launch a civil disobedience movement.

Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider personally phoned the JI amir on Tuesday in this regard. But Qazi Husain Ahmed reiterated to go on with the protest plan announced earlier.

The exchange of bitter words between the two leaders was made public by the Jamaat in a detailed press release.

The minister warned that the government would use force against those going for strikes, processions or rallies, and the JI leader banged the phone, saying everyone opposed to US attacks on Afghanistan was playing his role in the light of his faith and conscience and he was not bothered by government’s threats.

The Qazi, according to the press release, said that the government had staked national interests by acting as a stooge to the United States. Most of the people had rejected the government’s policy on Afghanistan and it was the constitutional right of the religious and political parties to organize protest rallies.

He also informed the minister that the religious parties organization — Muttahida Majlis-i-Aml — would act responsibly and ensure a peaceful change in the country. Strikes and rallies would let the world know that people of Pakistan were opposed to US attacks on Afghanistan and they were supporting the Afghans in their struggle.

The minister, according to the release, threatened that the government would be tough with those who tried to go for strikes, stage sit-ins or block roads. He advised the JI leader to meet him (the minister) to discuss the matter further.

“I have no desire to appear in the court of any minister”, a provoked JI chief said.

The minister said that the JI had opposed the creation of Pakistan and it had been receiving money from the US. The JI leader rejected them as hackneyed allegations.

The minister insisted that the government’s policy on US attacks on Afghanistan was in the national interest. He said he was willing to hold a debate with him on television. The JI leader said he was ready to hold the debate and a decision should be left to viewers.

The minister taunted the JI leader that his party had supported Hizbe Islami leader Gulbadin Hikmatyar which had led to a chaos in Afghanistan. In his opinion, the JI support to the Taliban would also lead to the same results.

The Qazi told the minister that the army and the government had been supporting Mr Hikmatyar and the Taliban. He said it was the US and its lackeys who had abandoned Afghanistan after they had achieved their targets.

He regretted that the Pakistan government had impaired its sovereignty by first supporting the Afghan government under the US dictates and then opposing it for the same reason.