PESHAWAR, March 1: Awami National Party information secretary Zahid Khan has criticized MMA’s policies and said that Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani’s participation in the National Security Council has exposed its alliance with the military government, says a press release issued by the party on Wednesday.

He said that JI chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad was befooling people by opposing the government on public forums but, in effect, strengthening the Musharraf government to prolong the tenure of the MMA-led NWFP government.

He said that the combined forces were busy in supporting each other while people were facing unemployment and price-hike.

He said that the MMA, by holding out unnecessary and excessive processions against the blasphemy cartoons of Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), was helping President Gen Pervez Musharraf in making President Bush believe that if he was removed, extremist forces would take the charge of the government.

He condemned hypocrisy on the part of the JI chief that he had resigned from the MMA chairmanship on account of the participation of Mr Durrani in the first meeting of the National Security Council.

He said that the religious parties’ alliance had again allowed Mr Durrani to take part in the meeting while its chief was no other than Mr Qazi.