Lahore: Pakistan's radical Islamist leaders,
including JuD chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, on Sunday rallied in
Punjab province's Multan city to ramp up pressure on the
governemnt not to reopen supply routes used by NATO forces in
Afghanistan.
The extremist leaders warned the government that they
would protest outside parliament if any step is taken to
reopen the supply routes which were closed after a
cross-border NATO air strike killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in
November last year.
Jamaat-ud-Dawah head Saeed claimed the US had started
propaganda targeting Pakistan and the members of the
Defa-e-Pakistan Council, which organised today's protest,
would defend the country's "ideological frontiers".
He claimed if these people "adopt an aggressive stance
and try to attack Pakistan, the US will break up."
The rally was also addressed by former Inter-Services
Intelligence chief Hamid Gul, Pakistani politician Sheikh
Rashid Ahmed and Ijaz-ul-Haq, the son of former dictator
General Zia Ul Haq.
Addressing the rally, Jamaat-e-Islami chief Munawar
Hassan said any resolution adopted by parliament for restoring
the NATO supply routes would be tantamount to a betrayal of
Pakistan.
"We will gherao parliament and stage a dharna if NATO
supplies are restored," he said.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Sami) chief Sami-ul-Haq too
addressed the gathering and said that if "US, Israel, India or
NATO forces" attacked Pakistan, the Defa-e-Pakistan Council
will retaliate with "full force".
Haq said the Council wants to free Pakistan "from the
clutches of the US and its allies" and end US drone attacks in
the country’s tribal belt.
Ahl-e-Sunnat wal Jamaat head Ahmed Ludhianvi warned that
if the government reopens NATO supply routes, workers of his
party would block them.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, January 29, 2012, 22:57