Munawar Hasan demands halt to North Waziristan operation

LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief, Munawar Hassan, Wednesday demanded of the government to halt the ongoing military operation in North Waziristan Agency (NWA) at the earliest, Geo News reported.

"It was a military operation that led to the separation of East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh). Now, same kind of onslaughts are being waged in Balochistan, tribal areas, and Karachi", Hasan said in a statement issued here.

The JI Ameer (supreme leader) also called for the withdrawal of military from the tribal areas, which he said was deployed under the US pressure.

"The government must recall all the troops from NWA, which is on fire these days", said he.

The militarization of tribal territories was only adding to the problems of Pakistan, JI leader said.

"What good have these operations ever done to Pakistan? Such actions invariably lead to nothing but Balkanization", said he.