PESHAWAR: Member of the National Assembly Maulana Nek Zaman of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal said on Wednesday that claims by the military that he was directly or indirectly supporting terrorists had âno truth.â
Calling himself âa democrat,â the MNA denied that any of his relatives had been arrested in connection with terrorism.
| "My family? Certainly not! Except for Grampaw, of course... And my brother Ahmed, but he's not right in the head... And Mom, of course... And... ummm... my Dad... And Sonny, but you know how impressionable youth are..." |
âI am one who is helping peace to return to Waziristan,â Zaman said. Peshawar Corps Commander Lieutenant General Safdar Hussain had accused Nek in a briefing on Tuesday of âdirectly or indirectlyâ supporting terrorism in North Waziristan, where security forces on Tuesday arrested 21 militants and recovered weapons and a âspy drone.â
 | "Well, y'gotta define 'supporting,' don'tcha?" |
âIt comes as no surprise that the security forces recovered heavy weapons,â Zaman said. âThere are weapons in every house in Waziristan.â
| "We're all avid elk hunters, y'know..." |
The MNA also dismissed the armyâs claims that it had arrested foreigners. âToday, it makes claims of foreignersâ arrest and tomorrow, they turn out to be local inhabitants,â he said. Zaman asked how a âsealedâ seminary had been used as an operational centre by terrorists when it was under the control of security forces. âI think Mondayâs operation was the 15th in the last three years,â he said. âAnd what is important to note is that the (Haqqani) seminary has been sealed by the army for a long time, and no one lives there.â
| We were wondering about that, too... |
South Waziristan MNA Maulana Mirajuddin also came out in Zamanâs support. He said âbaseless accusationsâ against Zaman from a top military commander did not look âgood,â calling Gen Safdarâs âtiradeâ against Zaman an âattempt to make President Pervez Musharrafâs US visit a success.â |