‘US, Nato forces preparing to invade Pakistan’

The internal strife that has been continuing for the past several months along the borders of Pakistan would pave the way for external forces to enter the country, Allama Abbas Kumaili has said. He feared that NATO forces had already reached the borders of Afghanistan and that the doors to external intervention within Pakistan as well had been flung wide open.

Kumaili was addressing a press conference organised Friday at the Karachi Press Club (KPC). He was flanked by Allama Irfan Abidi, Allama Jaffer Raza, Moulana Rajab Ali Bungash, and others.

He expressed grave concern over the border areas of Kurram Agency, especially Parachinar and Dera Ismail Khan, and said that certain forces wanted to create ethnic conflicts in the areas. This, he said, was being done by unleashing a reign of terror where thousands of people being massacred in order to instigate Shia-Sunni clashes.

The government, Kumaili said, had shut its eyes, intentionally or unintentionally, to the situation while the integrity of the country was at stake. He feared a 1971-like situation which, he said, was a planned conspiracy. Some forces, under a contrived move, were fanning sectarian hatred and Shia-Sunni differences were being manipulated in the country.

US imperialist forces, Kumaili said, wanted to interfere in the internal affairs of Pakistan and were looking for excuses to invade it on the pretext of the “War on Terrorism” just as they had done in Iraq and Afghansitan.

Kumaili appreciated the measures taken by the elected government of Pakistan to form a Jirga and for trying to resolve the issues in Kurram Agency. Unfortunately, he said, the talks broke down and people from both sides were taken into custody, while pressure was mounted by the government to sign a draft document prepared by the establishment.

The News International
5/31/2008