ISLAMABAD, 24 October — One of Pakistan’s main Islamist political leaders said yesterday he was willing to give the United States time to withdraw its bases from the country, marking a softening of his stance on the issue.
Fazlur Rehman is the prime ministerial candidate for the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) religious alliance, which exploited anger over Pakistan’s cooperation in the US-led war on terror to emerge as a political force after this month’s general election.
The MMA campaigned for the immediate withdrawal of US bases from Pakistan and the imposition of Islamic law in the country. But it appears to be softening its stance slightly as it vies for a place in a future coalition government.
"Measures should be taken to assure the Pakistani people that they are vacating the bases," Fazlur Rehman told Reuters in his first interview since the election. "After these measures are taken, a time frame can be decided for the vacation of the bases."
There is a small US military presence in Pakistan concentrated at the Jacobabad air base, from where search and rescue operations in neighboring Afghanistan are launched. Federal Bureau of Investigation agents are also helping track down Al-Qaeda suspects who may have taken refuge in the country.
"We want to assure the US, the West and international community that we don’t need foreign assistance in maintaining peace in Pakistan, and its soil will not be allowed to be used against anyone," he said.
Fazlur Rehman, who was imprisoned last year for leading protests against US military action in Afghanistan, leads the Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam, the strongest party in the MMA.
He welcomed an announcement by US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld that some of the Taleban and Al-Qaeda suspects being held at a naval base in Cuba would be released after months of interrogation failed to yield grounds for prosecution. Some of the prisoners to be released are Pakistani citizens, according to a senior US defense official.
"These US measures are bringing it from extremism to moderation," Fazlur Rehman said. "Like...a softening of their position on Iraq, it is a step toward creating a good environment. These should be encouraged and more steps taken to bring peace in the world."
But Fazlur Rehman condemned the detention of a prominent orthopedic surgeon this week in the eastern city of Lahore by Pakistani intelligence agents working with the FBI. "These are the measures that create suspicions that our sovereignty is permanently in danger," he said. "He was a doctor and served humanity, and such measures are against humanity." The brothers of Dr. Amir Aziz said FBI agents had accused him of supplying anthrax to Taleban and Al-Qaeda militants, but Fazlur Rehman said the FBI’s reported involvement was exactly the sort of foreign interference that had brought voters out for the MMA.
"Our people have given their opinion against such measures and it shows the US is not respecting the verdict of the people of Pakistan," he said.
Fazlur Rehman described as an injustice the way the Taleban’s image had been "defamed", and said the movement had brought peace to Afghanistan. He declined to say how he would respond if Washington asked an MMA-led government to hand over former Taleban leaders who may have taken refuge in Pakistan, but said former members of the Taleban would not cause trouble under an MMA government. "If they are here...they will not create a problem," he said. "We expect from them that they will respect religious people because they are religious-minded people."
Fazlur Rehman said his movement would not seek to impose Islamic law but would work within Parliament and the constitution to promote legislation compatible with the Qur’an and the teachings of the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh).
He said the MMA should be allowed to lead the next government to neutralize the anger of Pakistanis upset about President Pervez Musharraf’s close cooperation with Washington. "The leadership of the religious parties has brought those moving toward extremism a year ago back to the path of moderation and democracy," he said. "It would be much better for internal security...if the government was formed under the leadership of MMA."
