Jamaat warns Musharraf

Secretary General, Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, Syed Munawar Hasan has warned General Pervez Musharraf to abstain from providing logistic support and sensitive spots of Balochistan to the US forces for attacking Iran, otherwise ready to face serious consequences. While addressing a press conference here on Thursday Munawar claimed that the US Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice has asked President General Pervez Musharraf, during a meeting with him a day earlier, to extend co-operation he extended during Afghan war.
She has also desired to have logistic support as well as some areas in Balochistan so that the US forces could restrict Iran, he claimed.
He was of the view that the government has failed to give justification of cantonments in Balochistan. He alleged that the Cantonments in Balochistan could be used for containing the Baloch tribes in case the US attacks Iran. He demanded publication of reports of the committees constituted by PML Chief Shujaat Hussain on the issue of setting up cantonments in Balochistan.
Instead of showing interest in cricket, he said General Musharraf should exert pressure on India for withdrawing its forces from Jammu and Kashmir. 'General Musharraf's 'commando policy' is being proved counterproductive in Kashmir where gross violations of human rights are being committed', he added.
The Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz's claims regarding development are contrary to the reports of State Bank of Pakistan, and he (Shaukat) must go through the reports before issuing any such statement. Unemployment is rapidly increasing in the country, which is a matter of grave concern, he said.
Criticising Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz's statement that there was no religion column in the passport of 30 countries, Munawar advised Shaukat to study the Constitutions of those 30 countries because Pakistan is the only country in the world whose parliament during Bhutto's regime, had unanimously declared Qadianis as non-Muslims. That was why, the column of religion was introduced in the Pakistani passport, he added.
The Federal Minister for Religious Affairs, Ijaz ul Haq should also adhere to his commitment and play his role for restoration of column of religion in the passport, he asserted.
Referring to Sheikh Rashid's statement about Dr A.Q. Khan, he said, we would not tolerate character assassination of our national hero and he (Khan) must be provided an opportunity to clarify his position. On the issue of supply of centrifuge to Iran he demanded that the two former COAS should be brought to book. He announced that his party would get registered a case against Sheikh Rashid Ahmad under Article 6 of the Constitution for breaching the Constitution.
The government, on the direction of IMF and World Bank, had made repeated increase in petroleum prices during last 10 weeks, to overcome deficit. 'The corruption of Faisal Saleh Hayat, Aftab Sherpao, Imtiaz Shaikh, Salma Begum and Chief Minister Sindh caused surge in the poverty graph in the country', he maintained.
To a question, he said, if PPP's dialogues with the government are succeeded, there must be realignment in the opposition parties.
He stated that the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) is holding 30 big rallies in different cities including Million March in a week to lodge protest against the government policies.
According to the schedule, five meetings would take place at Jaccobabad, Shikarpur and Sukkur on March 18, six rallies in Sukrund, Khairpur and Hyderabad, on March 19, Million March in Karachi on March 20. Another Million March would start from Rawalpindi on March 20 and would reach Lahore on March 23. Besides, MMA would also hold a big rally in Peshawar on March 27, he added. Qazi Hussain Ahmad, Maulana Fazl ur Rehman, Hafiz Hussain Ahmad, Allama Sajid Ali Naqvi, Pir Abdul Rahim Naqshbandi, Pir Ijaz Hashmi and Qari Gul Rehman would lead the million marches, he revealed.