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Government trying to hoodwink US: Fazl

* MMA leader says govt helping militants enter Afghanistan
* Points to men being moved from Waziristan to militant camps in Mansehra
* Warns of protests over madrassa raids

Staff Report

LAHORE: The Pakistani government is deceiving the US and the West by helping militants freely enter Afghanistan from Waziristan, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) Secretary General Maulana Fazlur Rehman said on Sunday.

He told a press conference that the government should give the identity of the infiltrators and its (government’s) motives for helping them enter Afghanistan.

“They must also give the nation the identities of the men being moved from Waziristan to militant camps in Mansehra. This is hypocrisy. The rulers are not only trying to deceive the US and the West, but also hoodwinking the entire nation,” he added.

Earlier, Fazl had said that if pressured he would reveal facts that would open a Pandora’s box.

“We ask the rulers to reveal the identity of the people being transported to Afghanistan from Waziristan via Kaali Sarak in private vehicles, reveal who is supervising their trouble-free entry into Afghanistan and reasons for their infiltration,” he said.

The government would have to decide whether it wanted to support jihadis or close down their camps, he said, adding, “We will have to openly tell the world whether we want to support jihadis or crack down on them. We can’t afford to be hypocritical anymore,” he said. Fazl also accused Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed of running a jihadi camp for Kashmiri fighters near Islamabad. He said the government was accusing clerics of promoting religious extremism and militancy although they (clerics) were playing an active role in restoring peace in the tribal areas.

Fazl, who is also the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, warned of nationwide protests over the government’s crackdown against religious seminaries and a decision to expel their foreign students. He said action against madrassas was against human rights and that the MMA would protest against it in the entire country. He did not specify when the protests would start. Fazl’s comments came two days after Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said a decision by President Pervez Musharraf to expel foreigners studying at madrassas was irrevocable.

Musharraf took the decision last month amid concern that Pakistan had not done enough to curb Islamic extremism in madrassas. The move also came after investigators said two suspects in the deadly July 7 bombings in London might have been to madrassas in Pakistan.

Fazl said the government had taken the decision under international pressure. “The entire world knows that this action is being taken after pressure by foreign countries,” he added. Interior Ministry officials said over the weekend that visas of all foreign Islamic students would be cancelled, but it was not yet clear when the first students would leave the country.

Fazl also criticised the Lahore High Court for barring people with degrees from seminaries from contesting the local council elections.

Fazl said the Election Commission of Pakistan had told him that there was no such ban on candidates with madrassa degrees.

Fazl also commented on the Supreme Court’s decision on the Hasba Bill, saying that under Article 186(2) of the 1973 Constitution the president was bound to only seek the court’s decision on legislation, but it was unclear whether the Supreme Court’s decision was an opinion or a judgement. He said the issue would be clearer after the Supreme Court issued the detailed order. He also said the MMA would fight a legal battle against the government over the Hasba Bill.

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