PESHAWAR, Oct 10: Jamaat-i-Islami chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad on Wednesday warned that the US-UK attacks on Afghanistan would destabilize the region and isolate Pakistan.

The JI leader told the Meet the Press programme of Peshawar Press Club that the US action would affect Pakistan’s relations with China, Afghanistan and Iran. Americans, he claimed, had planned to establish their hegemony and make India a sole power of the region.

Washington, he said, wanted to protect its interests in the region on the pretext of targeting the hideouts of Osama bin Laden and the Taliban.

In reply to a question, he said the Taliban should give due share in power to former Jihadi groups and added that there was no chance for the revival of monarchy in Afghanistan. Zahir Shah, he said, had lost popularity among Afghans, because the former king had no role to play in Afghan affairs during the last 28 years. “How can a person who comes to power through bombardment of his people unite them?” he asked.

About the proposed Loya Jirga, he said the Taliban could play a pivotal role in convening the Jirga as they were in a better position to arrange it.

Qazi said the US could not achieve its objectives through air strikes and by killing innocent Afghans. Americans themselves, he said, were harbouring terrorism in the world and added that nuclear attack on Japan during the second world war was an ample proof of the US terrorism. The Jamaat, he said, did not believe in war between civilizations.

About the ongoing protest, the JI leader said that rallies would be peaceful and would not disturb the routine baseness. He said he would address rallies in Temergarah, Karachi and Peshawar on Oct 11, 14 and 19, respectively.