KARACHI, March 3: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s London-based chief, Altaf Husain, has asked the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal to solve problems of the people instead of “misleading” them by organizing the so-called million march castigating the United States and accusing others of being its lackeys.

“They are criticizing the US to achieve their nefarious objectives despite the fact that in the past they had served American interests and plunged a large number of Pakistanis, Arabs, and Afghans in the Afghan war for more than eleven years,” said the MQM chief, whose party has not yet taken a position on the Iraq issue.

“Instead of worrying for others, the MMA leaders should be concerned for the problems of the people and the city,” said Mr Husain.

He once again criticized the MMA for planning the million march to protest against the aggressive American designs on Iraq and asked its leadership to go to Iraq and join the human shield.

Mr Husain’s contention was that those who had given a call for the million march and had vowed for jihad should first be concerned with matters of terrorism and other problems at home.

Instead of focusing on economic issues because of which the people had been forced to commit suicide, these religious parties were trying to “mislead” the people in the name of jihad, he said.

He said that such elements should learn a lesson from non-Muslims who were not only protesting against war, but were also striving to protect the Iraqi people from the ravages of war.

Mr Husain targeted the religious parties and criticized them for not showing a similar concern about combating terrorism, poverty and about creating sectarian harmony.