LAHORE, Dec 3: Pakistan Awami Tehrik chairman Dr Tahirul Qadri thinks that the government will soon issue an ordinance to bar convicted leaders from taking part in politics or heading any party.

Talking to reporters at an Iftar-dinner here on Monday, he said President Musharraf in his meetings with PPP leaders had made it amply clear that Ms Bhutto could not take part in politics. But, he regretted, PPP leaders after coming out of the meeting hall had issued quite different statements about the outcome of their meeting.

He believed that the elections as well as the transfer of power would take place in October. He proposed that elections should be held under the judicial control of the Election Commission and administrative control of the army.

Answering a question, Dr Qadri said so far as he knew that the government had no favourites for the transfer of power.

He hoped that a ban on political activity would be lifted by March.

Answering a question, he said, if invited the PAT would certainly participate in the APC being called by Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan. However, he said, there was no need for such a conference at this juncture.

He said the PAT supported the government’s right to amend the Constitution, as also explained by the apex court.

He said only a few seminaries had exploited the sacred name of jihadand misused the funds they had collected to give a bad name to the entire religious community and the country. He said the government must end “madressah politics” and deal with those besmirching the name of Pakistan. For achieving this goal, he said, it was necessary to strengthen the country economically, end poverty and illiteracy.

It was necessary to enlighten the youth through modern education and scientific research. Pakistan had put a lot at stake for a fight against terrorism but the international community was yet to respond in kind to its sacrifice, he said. The world must help Pakistan in every way to put it back on its economic feet, he emphasised.

The international community had pledged over $20 billion for the reconstruction of Afghanistan, it would not be proper on its part to ignore Pakistan in its reconstruction effort.