Masood Azhar warns Pakistan of civil war

Masood Azhar warns Pakistan of civil war
UNITED NEWS OF INDIA

NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 15: Pakistan-based militant organisation Jaish-e-Mohammad's chief, Maulana Masood Azhar, has warned of a confrontation between the military government and jehadi groups if the latest order against the public collection of funds for jehad (holy war) was implemented. He has described the threat that violators would be shot dead as ``terrorism''. Azhar was one of the militants freed at Kandahar by the Indian Government in the hijacking drama.

``There was civil war in Algeria and Egypt when their governments tried to put restrictions on jehad. In Pakistan too some foreign powers want a confrontation between the military government and jehadi groups,'' he said in an interview with Urdu BBC last night.

Maulana Azhar described interior minister Moinuddin Haider's order against the public collection of funds for jehad as ``un-Islamic'' and said the holy Quran has mentioned jehad a number of times. He made it clear that the government's ban on the collection of funds for jehad would not be obeyed.

Azhar said Haider's threat that those who display arms in public would be shot dead was sheer terrorism. He, however, had no objection to the restriction on public display of arms.

Lt Gen Haider had told reporters in Karachi on Monday that collection of money for jehad would not be allowed in Pakistan. He had said there was pressure on Pakistan from foreign countries to rein in the jehadi groups. Even after his statement drew a hostile reaction from militant groups operating from Pakistan, he reiterated his determination to implement the order the next day in Islamabad.

Lt Gen Haider had announced these restrictions soon after his return from Kabul where he reportedly discussed with the Taliban administration the nagging problem of rabid sectarian elements taking shelter in Afghanistan after acts of terrorism in his country.

But so far Haider has not been able to implement any of his orders affecting the jehadi groups.