LAHORE, Feb 28: Jamaat-e-Islami ameer and MMA president Qazi Hussain Ahmad has underlined the need for the new government to make the country a welfare state according to the electoral promises.

A welfare state could only be ensured when constitution and judiciary was restored, all provinces were ensured their due rights enshrined in the constitution, foreign intervention in our internal affairs was stopped, people were ensured their fundamental rights and basic necessities, uniform education system was enforced and political and economic stability was ensured in the country, he said while addressing a meeting of sister organizations of the party at Mansoorah on Thursday, says a press release.

JI leaders Chaudhry Aslam Salimi, Liaqat Baloch, Syed Munawar Hasan, Farid Paracha, Malik Ashraf and Mian Maqsood were also present.

Qazi Hussain Ahmad said MMA resigned from previous assemblies to protest against enforcement of PCO, sacking of entire judiciary and re-election of Gen Musharraf as president from a parliament which had completed its tenure. He said APDM decided in principle not to contest elections and run mass movement to remove Gen Musharraf and restore the judiciary he had sacked. He said we consider going into the parliament in the presence of Gen Musharraf against our self respect. He said APDM remained committed to its stance and the polls boycott campaign we launched cast great effects on the elections. He said though we are not sitting in assemblies but we are working in the masses and society, and paving the way for the implementation of our demands.

Qazi Hussain Ahmad said we will allow time to the new government to fulfill its electoral promises with the nation and solve those basic issues that have burdened the nation for the last eight years. Qazi emphasized that the leaders of parties winning in the recent elections should refrain from appearing before the American court and should not sacrifice people's mandate on Washington's altar. He said a global war against Muslims is being waged at present, and all anti-Muslim forces have joined hands. The blasphemous cartoons are being republished to deliberately trample religious feelings of Muslims, posing the most serious challenges for Muslims.

He said the West is trying to gain military and cultural supremacy over us, and to alienate us from our religion. He expressed sorrow that Muslim blood is being spilled like water all over the globe and a term 'war against terror' has been coined to commit organized terrorism against Muslims. Qazi said it was most unfortunate that our rulers were acting as tools in the hands of colonists powers against their own people. He said great unity among the Muslim ummah was the need of the hour to counter these conspiracies.

He said the people have rejected Gen Musharraf and his pro-American policies, so called enlightened moderation and soft image. He said it was the responsibility of the new government to withdraw army deployed in tribal areas, Balochistan and Swat, and bring before the law and try those who used army against innocent civilians in Tribal areas, Jamia Hafsa, Lal Masjid and Balochistan, and abolish the policy of cooperating with America at the cost of public interests and aspirations.

 
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