Religious parties in the Pakistan Defence Council warned the government on Sunday not to use the Parliamentary Committee on National Security for the restoration of NATO supply lines.
The leaders of the parties told supporters at a public meeting at the Sports Ground here that they strongly opposed any compromise on the deaths of Pakistani soldiers and tribesmen in exchange for dollars. They warned that if the NATO supply lines were restored, people from Karachi to Khyber would take to the streets and stop NATO containers by force. Pakistan Defence Council Chairman Samiul Haq said the drone attacks should be stopped immediately and the policies of former president Pervez Musharraf should be scrapped. He said instead of supporting the US, they would resort to the path of ‘jihad’. “We want peace and stability in the country and if the US, India, Israel or any other power dares to aggress, they will be responded to in the same manner,” said Haq.
He said further that India, which was responsible for the killings of tens of thousands of Muslims, could not be given the status of most-favoured nation by Pakistan. Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed warned against opening of NATO supply lines and said people present in the meeting with sticks and flags would come out onto the roads and stop all the containers.
He said Pakistan must exit America’s war and instead try to secure the freedom of Kashmir. “We have to avenge East Pakistan and Samjhota Express,” he added. Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat Pakistan President Mohammad Ahmad Ludhianvi said no conspiracy would be allowed against the security of Pakistan. He said the people of Pakistan would fully back the Pakistan Defence Council in preventing the acts of the government against the interests of the country.
Lt General (r) Hameed Gul said the common target of the US, India and Israel was Pakistan. He regretted that Musharraf and his successors arrested their Muslim brothers and handed them over to Americans. Jamaat-e-Islami chief Munawar Hasan said the government was not following its oath and allowed the Americans to strengthen their hold in Pakistan. He said the attack on General Headquarters (GHQ) was the handiwork of American and Indian agencies and not of any religious party. Sheikh Rashid Ahmad of the Awami Muslim League said if people voted for thieves and plunderers, the result would be disastrous. He said the religious and political parties must unite and foil the conspiracies against Pakistan. He said those who were imprisoned with Prime Minister Gilani were compensated unjustly with high posts.
