PESHAWAR, Jan 17: Provincial president of Pakistan Muslim League (N) Pir Sabir Shah on Saturday accused the federal government of implementing the American agenda in all its internal and external affairs.

"The Wana operation is being carried out on the directives of America," he claimed, and went on to add that if the latter chose to start operation on its own, the government did not even have the courage to stop it.

Speaking at a press conference here, he said all those speaking against the imperialist policies of America were being targeted, disgraced and their houses raided.

He said that Nawaz Sharif tried to solve the Kshmir issue in accordance with the national aspirations while the present government has "begged Indian Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee for the solution of the core issue."

He said by setting aside the UN resolutions on Kashmir and accepting the Indian standpoint, "the government has given the colour of terrorism" to the freedom struggle in the held valley.

Mr Shah said on the one hand, the Pakistani rulers were anxious for friendship with India but on other they lacked courage to urge the Indians to stop massacre of the Kashmiris.

He said this was a key to having during peace between the two countries.

He regretted that the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) had accepted all those points in the LFO which were opposed by it and the ARD.

"The 17th Amendment has actually defaced the Constitution and practically converted the parliamentary system into a presidential one," he said.

He said the amendment would erode provincial autonomy and deal a blow to national solidarity.

He said the leadership of two mainstream political parties had been forced to leave the country.

"We were excepting that the MMA would not allow the government to retain the ban on a person holding the office of prime minister for more than two terms.

"We don't consider PML-Q as a democratic party but the MMA's support to a constitutional amendment was unfortunate," he said.

He said that religious parties were struggling for the implementation of Islamic system in the country and the Nawaz government passed the Sharia bill from the National assembly and was about to pass it from the Senate.

He said the religious parties' alliance was not sincere in implementation of Islam in the country. Rather, it was using it as a card to reach the corridors of power. -PPI