"Nope. Nope. Never happened."
DARGAI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Ameer Qazi Hussain Ahmed on Tuesday denied that his party had any links with Al Qaeda and other militant organisations. "We do not believe in violence," Qazi told a public meeting in Sakhkot Bazar.
| "'Course, it all depends on yer definition of violence!" |
He criticised the government for charging JI leaders with links to Al Qaeda and other extremist groups. Qazi accused the government of taking directions from the United States. "The US is the biggest of all terrorists and is responsible for killing tens of thousands of Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan", NNI quoted him as saying.
| "Yeah! An' they wudn't doin' nothin'!" |
The JI chief denied differences within the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), saying all religious parties of the alliance were united.
| "Some are just more united than others..." |
Earlier talking to journalists in Dargai, Qazi resolved that the JI would not be intimidated by government accusations. He said the US and Pakistani governments had vested interests in keeping Al Qaeda 'alive.' He said JI activists loved peace and criticised the government for not allowing them to attend the jirgas in Bajaur, Khyber and Mohmand agencies. He said that the MMA was working to unite Shias and Sunnis. |