MMA critical of Rocca’s statement

Published December 18, 2002

LAHORE, Dec 17: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) has criticized US assistant secretary of state Christina Rocca’s statement in which she had urged Pakistan to put its nuclear programme under American supervision.

This was stated by MMA leader Shabbir Ahmad Hashmi while speaking at a group discussion on “Pakistan’s nuclear power and its security” organized by the JUP here on Tuesday.

He said the statement was a clear evidence that hung parliament had been fashioned to meet the designs of Washington.

Terming the US “the biggest terrorist,” he said the policies of its rulers demonstrated that they wanted violence and not peace in the world.

But humanity was now awaken and in almost all countries, and even in the United States itself, people were holding protest processions against the US war hysteria, he said.

Mr Hashmi also criticized President Gen Pervez Musharraf for, what he said, taking cover behind the slogan of ‘true democracy’ to implement his policies.

Punjab MMA president Qari Zawwar Bahadur termed Ms Rocca’s statement an interference in the internal affairs of Pakistan.

He said the apprehensions expressed by the US about the MMA were against democratic norms and an insult of the public mandate given to the six-party religious alliance.

Washington wanted a democratic set-up of its choice in the world and favoured army dictatorships against the democratic governments opposed to it, thus harming the world peace, he said.

Warning the government not to bow to the US pressure on the issue, Qari Zawwar said the nation that could achieve a milestone in the nuclear technology despite opposition by the United States and the West, could also protect it well.

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