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| Afghanistan/South Asia |
| Fazl rejects accusations of al-Qaeda links |
| 2005-08-24 |
| MMA secretary general and leader of the opposition in the National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rehman has rejected US assertion that three Pakistan political parties have links with al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. Talking to newsmen here Monday he said MMA was not an extremists religio political party and blamed the government of its involvement in Dubai airport incident. "My silence is in the best interest of Pak UAE relations", Maulana Fazl said. While rejecting the anti NWFP government propaganda regarding ban on women participation in the local government elections, he said the government had not barred women to cast vote, but they were stopped in the constituency of Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao. He said religious madaris issued decrees in favour of women vote casting. To a Question, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that MMA won majority of seats in the local government elections. MMA secretary general questioned why human rights organisations were acting as silent spectators on the expulsion of foreign students from religious madaris. He said several foreign envoys expressed their concern on this act of the government. He said that there was no proof of involvement of foreign students in terrorism and nor cases were framedagainst the students. To another question, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said local government elections must be on party basis. He said that in Punjab ministers were issuing statements against each others, which was the violation of code of conduct, however Election Commission has not taken any notice, whereas the court summoned a minister of NWFP government. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |