(AFP) PAS today declared a "jihad" or holy war over the US-led attacks in Afghanistan and gave the go-ahead for its members to join the fight.

However, the party added that its definition of jihad covered a wide range of appeals including calling for peace.

"If there are any PAS members who would like to go for jihad, we cannot stop them because jihad is a religious duty," PAS secretary-general Nasaruddin Isa told AFP.

"They don't need to seek party approval if they wish to take up the fight in Afghanistan."

The leadership of PAS, which has some 800,000 members, had agreed on a jihad and its targets were the enemies of Islam, Nasaruddin said.

But he added that PAS's definition of jihad covered a "wide spectrum including calling for peace, calling for justice and not just taking up arms".

No party directive

"We cannot stop anybody who wants to go and fight but we are not saying that we are going to create a troop to do that. PAS is also not going to sponsor anyone," he said.

PAS deputy president and one of its spiritual leaders Abdul Hadi Awang said there was no party directive for its members to go to Afghanistan.

"We are not directing our members to go to Afghanistan because we feel that there are enough Muslims there to face the American attack," he was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency.

"For neighbouring countries, it is required of them to assist and for us who are further away, it is sufficient to express sympathy and to pray for their safety."

Meanwhile deputy premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi criticised PAS move, saying "we should not interfere in what's happening in Afghanistan".

Abdullah said it was inappropriate of PAS to encourage its members to fight alongside the Taliban, although Malaysia opposed the strikes on Afghanistan.

"We sympathised over what's happening but it does not mean that we should dispatch Malaysians to be involved in the affairs of other countries..." Abdullah was quoted as saying by Bernama.

The government did not know if any Malaysians had actually gone to take up arms in Afghanistan, he added.

'No proof, no evidence'

PAS leaders Monday labelled Americans "war criminals", saying the strikes in Afghanistan were not only against the Taliban rulers accused of sheltering prime terror suspect Osama bin Laden, but were a direct assault on Muslims.

"Until today, there is no proof, or evidence to relate Osama bin Laden to the September 11 tragedy" in which New York and Washington were attacked, Nasaruddin said.

"It is clear that Washington and London have acted against basic principles of law and justice by attacking the defenseless people of Afghanistan."

PAS plans to stage a protest against the US-British attacks outside the American embassy in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.

Fund raising campaign

PAS president Fadzil Noor and spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat will hand over a memorandum protesting the strikes, officials said.

The party has already submitted a memorandum to United Nations offices here condemning the UN's "failure to deal with international terrorism, including allowing the US to carry out the biggest act of terrorism of this century in Afghanistan".

The party has also embarked on a fund-raising campaign to collect donations for refugees and the people of Afghanistan.