HYDERABAD, March 31: Millat Party leader Javed Jabbar has described the on-going US-led war against Iraq as illegal and unjustified.

He stressed the need for opposing the USA diplomatically, economically and morally to counter its hegemony and said although the United Nations’ Organization had been so far rendered ineffective, it would eventually remerge.

Mr Jabbar was delivering a lecture on the Iraq war in “Talk for Change” programme, organized by the Strengthening Participatory Organization and the Centre for Peace and Human Development here on Monday.

He asked the people to strive hard and hold anti-war demonstrations to continue exerting pressure on the USA and the UK.

He opposed a foreign policy based on anger and hatred and added that the US had left other western countries far behind in fields of research and technology.

Giving an example, he said that in the UN’s World Intellectual Property Organisation, there were 44,000 applications for patent on inventions from the US, which were not matched by the UK’s 16,000 and France’s 13,000 applications.

He said that there were seven objectives behind the war, five of which were declared by the US and remaining two, capturing of Iraqi oil resources and redrawing map of Middle East, remained unspecified. is unique as its objectives keep on changing”, he said.

He said that according to the US claim, 45 countries were backing it whereas Iraq was fighting all alone and no Muslim country had offered even some kind of symbolic help to it.

He rejected the idea that Pakistan could become next target of the US adding that the US wanted to reinforce its strategic dominance and it would have to think again and again before launching strikes at any other country after Iraq.

He said that the US was mistaken if it believed that it could import democracy to Middle East countries and added that wars never resolved issues.

“It is ironic that Bush administration adopted course of war in the presence of democratic institutions in the US. It proves that even in a democratic country, a powerful lobby can influence policies”, he said.

He alleged” “Bush and his Zionists and hardliner Christian friends are holding White House hostage.”

Referring to the anti-war rallies staged by the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, he said that other parties should also come forward and stage rallies.