Author: Agencies/Islamabad
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: March 19, 2002
The leader of a hard-line Muslim
religious party who was released from house arrest has vowed tocontinue
campaigning against the presence of the US forces in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) chief
Maulana Fazlur Rehman said: "The US has come here to establish their air
bases in the region to contain China and Russia."
Rehman was set free by the North
West Frontier Province (NWFP) government after being kept under arrest
for more than five months. He was put under house arrest in his native
town of Dera Ismail Khan in October last year after initiating demonstrations
against the US-led war on terrorism in Afghanistan and the Pakistan government's
support to it. Nearly half a dozen people were killed during these protests.
The JUI had threatened to launch
a campaign for the release of their party chief. Following Rehman's release,
the party has called off the protest. He has called a party meeting Wednesday
to discuss the future line of action. "We will review all major national
and international issues affecting us. Upcoming elections will be another
important subject of discussion." Pakistan, which has been under military
rule since a coup in 1999, is to hold elections to the general assembly
and four provincial assemblies by October this year. Rehman said his party
planned to fully participate in the forthcoming elections. "Labelling all
the religious parties as extremist is an extreme step, which should be
avoided," he said referring to Musharraf's remarks about religious parties.
