LAHORE JI Ameer Munawar Hasan has said a coterie of thieves and plunderers was holding the country as hostage and was talking of saving the system only to protect its corruption and ill-gotten wealth. President Zardari has sold away Pakistans independence and sovereignty to America, he said, while addressing an Ijtema of the JI Lahore at Wahdat Road park on the historic Pakistan Day. JI Secretary General Liaquat Baloch, Deputy Chief Sirajul Haq, Punjab Chief Syed Waseem Akhtar, Hafiz Muhammad Idrees and Ameerul Azeem also addressed the participants. Munawar said the people holding fake degrees reached the assemblies through bogus votes by stealing the public mandate and put the countrys honour and prestige to auction. He said the US had handcuffed Pakistan through the IMF and the World Bank, and added that prosperity could not be achieved through foreign loans which were got only to bolster personal bank deposits. He said the Army chief, who remained asleep over 250 drone attacks, had now tried to deceive the nation through crocodile tears. He said Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah had freed CIA spy Raymond Davis on the direction of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. He further said the US having suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Afghans, was now trying to destabilise this country through Indians and Israeli agents with the intent to make a case for placing our nuclear assets under international control. He said the present awakening in the Muslim world was an expression of hatred for the US policies, and the US slaves were facing the public wrath everywhere. He said the Pakistani nation would have to stand by the patriotic forces to defend its independence and sovereignty. He said the JI had a long history of struggle and sacrifices for the country and the nation since independence and was the only party that could steer the country out of the present mess. The JI, he said, had begun a mass contact drive to seek public support and he was confident that no power on earth could now stop a grand Islamic revolution in the country. He said the army and the rulers had deprived the people of basic needs while lawlessness, price spiral and unemployment had made the peoples life miserable. Hundreds of factories were closed due to load shedding of gas and electricity. People were committing suicide due to poverty whereas the rulers were competing to win Washingtons pleasure. Liaquat Baloch said that it was the military establishment that was ruling the country as those claiming two third majority had been driven out of the parliament. Sirajul Haq said the rulers who were enjoying luxurious living were trying to snatch the last morsel of food with the masses. President Zardari had Rs 114 billion in foreign banks while Nawaz Sharifs foreign deposits ran to Rs 149 billion, he alleged. Syed Waseem Akhtar said since the 9/11, the world had become a prey to the US terrorism. He said the nation would have to support the JI with full resolve and determination for a real change.