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Oust Sharief, demands Jamaat

Pakistan's main Islamist opposition party has launched a campaign to oust Prime Minister Nawaz Sharief and accused him of betrayal over Kashmir.

''Starting from today, we are launching a campaign against Nawaz Sharief's betrayal and tomorrow we will observe a nation-wide black day or protest day,'' said Munawwar Hassan, acting chief of the Jamaat-e-Islami, yesterday.

''We are also making arrangements for a suitable reception of the prime minister wherever he returns,'' Hassan told the media in Karachi. He did not elaborate.

Jamaat-e-Islami is the biggest and best organised of Pakistan's conservative Islamic opposition groups but has no members of parliament because it boycotted the last elections.

Hassan called on the Pakistan army to clarify its position on the joint statement by Sharief and US President Bill Clinton.

''We believe that this is not the army's stance over this issue,'' he said. ''Till now what the army has been saying is in perfect harmony with the wishes of the people of Pakistan and Kashmir.''

Hassan said the joint statement and the manner in which Sharief dashed to Washington smelt of a conspiracy against the 'Kashmir freedom struggle'.

He said the despatch 10 days ago of former Pakistan foreign secretary Niaz Naik for secret talks in New Delhi with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was part of a conspiracy to defraud Kashmiris of their 'right to self-determination'.

''The conspiracy that started with the visit of Niaz Naik to New Delhi has come to a logical end with no less than the prime minister himself exposing the conspiracy and his involvement,'' he said.

''This is nothing less than betrayal, a negation of the right of self-determination for the Kashmiri people and a stab in the back of the Mujahideen (holy warriors) struggle against Indian repression,'' he said.

''Naik and Nawaz Sharief will pay for this, they will pay a very heavy price for this betrayal,'' he added.

He asked all other parties to join the struggle against Sharief who he said ''has become a security threat to Pakistan''.

UNI

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