LAHORE, Dec 1: Religio-political parties have announced their support for the All Parties Conference (APC) being hosted by the government in Islamabad on Tuesday (today).
The Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) says it is ready to support the government in the wake of aggressive Indian attitude provided troops are withdrawn from the tribal areas and “patriotic people are taken along instead of the forces of bias and prejudices”, JI amir Qazi Husain Ahmad told reporters after a consultative meeting of the party elders held here on Monday.
The meeting framed the stance the party would present in the APC convened by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
He said the meeting decided to attend the APC and cooperate with the government provided it took “necessary decisions” required for creating national unity.
“If the government fails to act, the JI will convene an APC on its own and stage demonstrations to mobilise the masses for the defence of the country,” he said.
He said the withdrawal of troops from the tribal areas would provide the country a reserved force in the form of tribesmen to guard the western borders sparing the army to safeguard the eastern borders.
He said the government could win the support of the tribesmen by pulling out the forces and holding a dialogue with them.He advised the prime minister to have a heart and not to show any weakness while talking to Indians, adding that the rulers should understand the conspiracy allegedly being hatched by the US, India and Israel against Pakistan.
The troika was out to interfere in the internal affairs of the country and that the ongoing Karachi riots was part of the intrigue, he said.
Mr Ahmad said resolution to the Karachi issue was not with the elements who were ruling the city from London, a reference to MQM chief Altaf Husain.
About Pakistan-India joint investigation into the Mumbai incident, he said they would have no objection to it provided the process remained well within the bounds of international norms.
JUP, JD: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (JUP) and the Jamatud Daawa (JD) have also announced their support for the APC.
The JUP central consultative body has offered unconditional support to the government and decided to send secretary general Qari Zawwar Bahadur to the APC.
It demanded Islamabad sever its trade and cultural relations with New Delhi to counter, what it said, a conspiracy of the US, Israel and India being hatched under the cover of Mumbai incident.
JD amir Prof Muhammad Saeed urged the Indian government to reign in Hindu extremist organisations instead of blaming Pakistan for the Mumbai massacre. He said no allegation leveled by India in the past against Pakistan had ever proved to be true.
He said Mumbai like incidents would be eliminated automatically when oppression of Christians, Sikhs, low-caste Hindus and Muslims in India would come to an end.
Also, the JUP opposed privatisation of Qadirpur gas fields and Pakistan Steel Mills, calling the policy economic “terrorism”.It criticised the government for allowing Gen Pervez Musharraf to go abroad and according him protocol. It demanded that the former army dictator be taken into custody for twice abrogating the constitution.