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Pak Islamists condemn border raid on al-Qaeda suspects
Islamabad, Oct 05: Hardline Islamic leaders in Pakistan today condemned an army raid in which eight al-Qaeda suspects were killed and another 18 arrested on the Afghan border.
Islamabad, Oct 05: Hardline Islamic leaders in Pakistan today condemned an army raid in which eight al-Qaeda suspects were killed and another 18 arrested on the Afghan border.
Innocent people had died in the raid in tribal-dominated south Waziristan, one top Islamist said.
"The people who have been targeted belonged to the Uzbek tribe of Afghanistan and they had no links with al-Qaeda or Taliban," said Qazi Hussain Ahmed, leader of the Right-wing Jamaat-i-Islami Party.
"Among the eight dead were Uzbeks and Afghans. They were working as farmers in the area. There are no important al-Qaeda members among those arrested." Liaqat Baloch, the party's parliamentary leader, called the strike a "disgrace".
"The government is making such raids in tribal areas to please Americans but it will create serious security problems for the country on the western border," Baloch told newspersons.
President Pervez Musharraf on Saturday said that he would not allow the country to be "used or misused by international extremists," referring to the raid. "There will be no extremist here in Pakistan," Musharraf said.
Pakistan, a key ally in the US-led war on terror, has arrested about 500 al-Qaeda suspects, the majority of whom have been handed over to the United States.
Bureau Report
"The people who have been targeted belonged to the Uzbek tribe of Afghanistan and they had no links with al-Qaeda or Taliban," said Qazi Hussain Ahmed, leader of the Right-wing Jamaat-i-Islami Party.
"Among the eight dead were Uzbeks and Afghans. They were working as farmers in the area. There are no important al-Qaeda members among those arrested." Liaqat Baloch, the party's parliamentary leader, called the strike a "disgrace".
"The government is making such raids in tribal areas to please Americans but it will create serious security problems for the country on the western border," Baloch told newspersons.
President Pervez Musharraf on Saturday said that he would not allow the country to be "used or misused by international extremists," referring to the raid. "There will be no extremist here in Pakistan," Musharraf said.
Pakistan, a key ally in the US-led war on terror, has arrested about 500 al-Qaeda suspects, the majority of whom have been handed over to the United States.
Bureau Report