ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Minister of State for Religious Affairs, Amir Liaquat Hussain, has said that a third attempt on life of President Pervez Musharraf cannot be ruled out from elements within the Army and maintained that "there is an ISI within the ISI" which is more powerful than the original.

In a no-holds-barred interview to English daily, Daily Times the Minister has said that ISI within the ISI was the "godfather" of Taliban and attacks on Gen. Musharraf have been orchestrated by elements within the military.

"Who attacked President Musharraf? Only Army personnel can do this. A third attempt on President Musharraf's life is also possible. There are people who are enemies of Musharraf Saheb. They will not spare me either. My life is in danger too. President Musharraf should be careful about his life. He has his enemies within", Mr. Hussain said.

Known for his strong views against the religious parties, Mr. Hussain, a member of the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM), has claimed that there was plenty of "evidence" to substantiate his observations on threat to Gen. Musharraf.

"For example, look at the tenor and tone of MMA chief Qazi Husain Ahmed. From where does he derive the confidence to claim that he would have Musharraf kicked out of the army very soon? Yes, he has got "some people behind him", the Minister said. Mr. Hussain disclosed that his Ministry is trying to obtain a unanimous fatwa (decree) against suicide attacks on mosques and imambargahs in Pakistan.

He said that religious scholars Mufti Munib-ur-Rehman, a Barelvi Sunni, Allama Mushtaq Najafi, a respected Shia, and Hafiz Mohammad Salafi, an Ahle-Hadith scholar have already signed the fatwa.

"We are asking Deobandi scholars Maulana Taqi Usmani and Maulana Rafi Usmani to sign the fatwa", the Minister said. Asked about reservations of Deobandis on the proposed decree he said that they believe the fatwa should not be applied in the context of what is happening in Iraq and Palestine. "However, they have agreed that suicide attacks on innocent faithful in mosques and imambargahs in Pakistan are unjustified and killing our innocent fellow citizens.

Concept reduced to a joke

They understood that we are not getting their fatwa against jihad. There is no jihad in peaceful places. The religious scholars will decree over media that suicide attacks are haram (forbidden)", he asserted.

Mr. Hussain said some Ministers and Advisers in the Government have reduced the concept of "enlightened moderation" propagated by Gen. Musharraf to a joke.

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