KARACHI, Nov 12: Deploring the government’s pro-American Afghan policy, secretary general of Jamaat-i-Islami, Syed Munawar Hassan, said on Monday that if by 27th Ramazan this policy was not changed, the government would be changed.

Addressing a news conference at Idara-i-Noor-i-Haq, he reflected the defiant attitude of the religious parties and termed the current Afghan policy of the government as a complete U-turn and claimed that the present course was not in the interest of the people.

Replying to a question the JI secretary general said the time frame given by his party was also a warning to the government to mend, what he termed as its anti-people ways, otherwise people would rise in protest.

He said that on Nov 15 the Supreme Council of the Pak-Afghan Defence Council would take important decisions, including the decision to march on Islamabad.

He reminded that a protest had already been planned for Nov 16 to deplore arrest of the PADC frontline leaders.

The JI leader said that if Qazi Hussain Ahmed and Maulana Fazlur Rahman were traitors, then 140 million people of the country also shared their guilt, because they were opposed to the government’s Afghan policy.

He was of the view that because of the foreign policy of Gen Pervez Musharraf, the Northern Alliance was gaining ground in Afghanistan, which by implication meant that pro-Indian elements were getting an upper hand. Gen Musharraf should take responsibility for the same, he added.

Munawwar Hasan said that President Musharraf should declare an end to Pakistan’s logistic support to the US and its allies if he was sincere in his resolve towards seeking an end to the ongoing bombings by the holy month.

He demanded trial of the detained leaders in open court and deplored the government’s policy of denying their relatives to meet them.

He reiterated support for the Taliban and was of the view that amid unfolding events it was now being confirmed that they were part of America’s design to eliminate Pakistan’s nuclear capability and to impose a solution in Kashmir which was in the interest of India.

“As long as Americans are present on Pakistan’s soil and using our airfields for the so-called logistics, our nuclear assets and Kashmir cause will remain threatened,” he said.

The JI leader said that it smacked rat when those who had vowed to deny us nuclear capability and had imposed sanctions on Pakistan, were now posing as protectors of Pakistan’s nuclear assets and were praising Gen Musharraf for embarking on a policy which is not shared by the common man.

He termed the over one billion dollar debt relief announced by President Bush as a peanut and said that no clear statment had been made by the US on debt relief and rescheduling. He asked how could the people trust the Americans who had refused to honour their commercial deal on F-16s.

He deplored President Musharraf’s remarks about some jihadi organizations and NGOs equating them with the terrorists and said the general who harped the theme of Pakistan First had made the USA his benefactor.