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Sharief blasted for congratulating Vajpayee

Jamaat-i-Islami chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed has bitterly criticised Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharief for his congratulatory message to his Indian counterpart Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his victory in the recent election.

The Qazi, who flouted prohibitory orders in Hyderabad, Sindh, and addressed a large public meeting on Sunday, described Sharief as a ghaddar (traitor). Party deputy chief, Professor Ghafoor Ahmed claimed that the Bhartiya Janata Party returned to power in India because of Sharief's misadventure and incompetence in Kargil.

The Jamaat-i-Islami's anger with Sharief has been fuelled by his pronouncement that Afghanistan is sponsoring anti-Shia terrorism in Pakistan.

The Jamaat wants India to be blamed for it although Sharief and his brother Shahbaz Sharief have claimed that they have documentary proof of Afghanistan's involvement in sectarian violence in Pakistan.

The sectarian violence erupted in Pakistan just when the qazi had been carrying on a countrywide campaign for the removal of Nawaz Sharief. But, on Sunday, he expressed the fear that the army might take over power if Sharief was removed.

So far the Sindh administration has not allowed any political party to hold public meetings in the province against the government. But the Jamaat flouted the ban and held the meeting without much resistance from the administration. That made the qazi to claim that his is the only party which has the support of the masses.

UNI

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