KARAK, Nov 7: Jamaat-i-Islami provincial chief Professor Ibrahim on Wednesday said the presence of the US in the region was the root cause of all problems in the country.

Addressing local JI office-bearers and workers here, Mr Ibrahim said durable peace couldn’t be achieved until Nato forces remained present in Afghanistan.

He said the government and the army had developed serious differences after the US conducted the May 2 operation in Abbottabad to kill Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.

The JI leader said on one hand, the army claimed to be ignorant about the US marine operation in Abbottabad and on the other, the PPP government declared the operation successful and tried to claim the credit for it.

He condemned the US drone attacks in tribal areas and said innocent people were killed in them but the government could not dare ask the US to stop them.

Mr Ibrahim said the government and the US were highlighting the Malala Yousafzai shooting incident to pave the way for the North Waziristan operation.

“It’s a great conspiracy. We’ll not allow army operation in North Waziristan on the US pressure,” he said.

The JI leader said his party would hold a public meeting in Bannu district on Nov 29 to condemn the drone attacks and express solidarity with tribesmen.

TWO KILLED: Two people were killed and five seriously injured in separate incidents in Karak district on Wednesday.

In the first incident, Junaid died after falling into a well in Shadikhel area of Takht-i-Nusrati tehsil while rectifying a fault in electric water pump.

Locals later retrieved the body for burial.

Also in the day, motorcyclist Afzal died in an accident.

Police said the accident took place after Afzal’s motorcycle collided with a tractor head-on in Lawagher Channikhel area of Karak tehsil.

The victim was taken to the hospital but he didn’t survive.

In another incident, five people were seriously injured after a van bound for Sabirabad from Shakardara fell into a ravine near Gurguri Eidalkhel area.

The injured, Usman, Rasool Khan, Ashraf Khan, Ishaq and Hafeez, were taken first to a local health centre and then to the District Headquarters Hospital, Karak.