The Hindu : MMA calls for strike in support of A.Q. Khan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 03, 2004

International

International

MMA calls for strike in support of A.Q. Khan

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, FEB. 2. The senior leader of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) and chief of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Qazi Hussain Ahmad, has called a strike on February 6 to express solidarity with the nuclear scientist, Abdul Qadeer Khan, who is in the eye of a storm over alleged transfer of nuclear technology.

At a news conference in Lahore on Sunday, Mr. Hussain, who presides over the largest and most disciplined religious party in the country, demanded an open trial of the scientists in accordance with the law of the land.

"NATO forces have gathered on Pak-Afghan borders. America has asked India and Pakistan for sending their troops for the NATO army. The NATO forces are about to launch a military operation for the search of Al-Qaeda suspects. NATO forces intend to interfere on our borders with Afghanistan. If NATO forces did it, we will consider it as an attack on Pakistan. If we took up arms, we will be fulfilling the plan of Musharraf Government but we will mobilise public against it. We will hold a `million march' in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad and Rawalpindi against the present regime of Geneneral Musharraf," he said.

The JI argued that Pakistan had not signed the CTBT or the NPT and as such there was no breach of any contract or agreement. "If the nuclear technology has been transferred to any other country, there is no breach of any contract. President General Musharraf is playing with our solidarity, sovereignty and integrity of the state. Musharraf and the present system cannot run together," he observed.

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