QUETTA, Sept 13: Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal Chairman Maulana Shah Ahmed Noorani has said that the sovereignty of the country is under threat and the MMA will make all possible efforts to protect it.

Speaking at the Quetta Press Club Programme “Hal-o-Ahwal” here on Friday, he said the MMA would not allow any individual to amend the Constitution.

“Amending the Constitution is the prerogative of an elected parliament and an individual could not be empowered to do so,” Maulana Noorani said and added with the amendments announced by President Pervez Musharraf, the basic structure of the 1973 Constitution had been changed which would harm the democracy and democratic institutions in the country.

He said religious parties had joined hands to protect the Islamic identity of the Constitution and would protect the clauses regarding Khatam-i-Nabuwat.

Maulana Noorani said the MMA was formed by the religious parties to fight anti-Pakistan forces who were trying to implement the agenda of the World Bank and the IMF. He said these two institutions were responsible for the economic woes of the country.

He said bureaucracy and other elements were supporting these forces in this regard. He said increase in the prices of gas, electricity, oil and other items had put an enormous burden on the back of the poor masses but the rulers were least concerned.

He said at present over seven million people in the country were jobless, while 2,500 sick industries had been closed. He said corruption had increased at all level and the government’s claim in this regard was wrong.

The MMA chief accused the western powers of pumping huge amounts into Pakistan through NGOs to change the Islamic identity of the country. He said in such a situation when the regime was also supporting the agenda of these forces and the integrity and sovereignty of Pakistan was at stake, it was the responsibility of all patriotic forces to get united to protect the Islamic identity of the country.

He said the MMA wanted that democratic process should continue in the country and rulers should conduct fair, free and transparent elections and hand over powers to the elected representatives of the people.

Replying to a question, he said the MMA had fielded over 190 candidates for the National Assembly.