MANSEHRA: Jamaat-i-Islami on Wednesday threatened to agitate against the proposed privatisation of national entities.

`The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government wants to sell national assets off to meet the conditions of IMF (International Monetary Funds) to obtain loans for own luxuries.

However, we want to make it clear that if the government goes ahead with its privatisation plan, we will begin countrywide agitation against it,` Central Secretary General of JI Liaquat Baloch told reportershere.

Mr Baloch said his party would continue opposing the federal government`s steps against national interests and that the federal government had miserably failed to deliver to the disappointment of the people.

`Prices of consumer goods have escalated due to the constant increase in general sales tax, gas and electricity tariffs, and petroleum prices. A large segment of the population is too poor to buy food,` he said.

The JI leader said his party and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf were not alone in supporting the government`s talks with the Taliban for restoration of peace but all other political parties, including Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Awami National Party, too, had given the federal government the mandate to initiate such dialogue.

`Though we are diehard supporters of the government-Taliban talks to foil international conspiracies against peace in the country, all other political and religiousparties, including MQM and ANP, too, had supported such talks during the last year`s all parties conference in Islamabad,` he said.

Mr Baloch said the US and India were behind the subversive activities in the country as they wanted the international community to declare Pakistan a failed state.

`Our rulers are afraid of the so-called US supremacy. In fact, the US and India are directly or indirectly involved in the subversive activities in our country,` he said.

The JI leader said the US, which was leaving Afghanistan during the current year, wanted to create unrest in Pakistan by fanning terrorism and sectarianism.

He said his party would oppose any move meant to turn Pakistan into a secular state.

`If the federal government keeps following the policies and secular agenda of former president Pervez Musharraf, we will take to the streets against it,` he said.

Mr Baloch said the government shouldsincerely work to counter terrorism in the country, especially in Karachi.

`Karachi is the financial capital of the country and the people from all over the country have been settled them for long, so if it is not stable, the entire country will be unstable,` he said.

The JI leader said his party supported the call for creation of more provinces in the country but it shouldn`t happen along ethnic lines.

`Our members will support creation of Hazara province, in the provincial assembly and parliament,` he said.

Mr Baloch said former president Musharraf was solely responsible for the November 3 emergency rule in the country by suspending the Constitution and therefore, he should be tried for treason under relevant laws.

He, however, said Musharraf`s earlier unconstitutional steps, including the imposition of martial law on October 12, 1999, were indemnified by parliament.