'US wants to control Pak nukes on pretext of terrorism'

Karachi, Dec. 14 (ANI): Jamaat-e-Islami chief Munawar Hassan has said that America's real objective is international control over Pakistani nuclear arsenal, and terrorism is just a pretext to achieve it.

"The US wants international control on the Pakistani nukes, and terrorism is just a pretext to achieve that target," the Daily Times quoted Hassan, as saying.

Meanwhile, Jamiat Ulema-I-Islam-F leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman also said that Pakistan's nuclear assets faced more American threat than that of Taliban.

"The Americans have taken over Islamabad and turned it into a mini pentagon," he said.

Hassan sharpened his attack against the US, saying that it was plotting a series of attacks across Pakistan.

"No Muslim is involved in suicidal attacks in Pakistan, and rather Blackwater (Xe) - a US private contractor - and Indian agents are involved in these incidents," he said at a congregation, which saw many women and elderly also in attendance.

He added that officials of the US agencies as well as Blackwater were being held on a daily basis but they were being released on the directives of Interior Minister Rehman Malik.

Children were seen carrying flags and raising anti-US slogans.

Hassan also questioned the credibility of Pakistani military offensive in Waziristan, saying that Army Chief Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani should produce a 10-month performance report on the operation.

"Terrorists had reached the military GHQ and remained there for more than 24 hours, so why should we believe in the success of the Army operation," he said, demanding the government to immediately stop the offensive against the Taliban. (ANI)