April 13, 2002	Saturday	Muharram 29, 1423

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MINGORA, April 12: The leaders of the religious parties have rejected the idea of presidential referendum.

Amir of Jamaat-i-Islami, Swat, and a former member of the National Assembly Haji Khaliqdad Khan in a statement on Friday said that all the religious parties had banded together on a single platform of the Mutahidda Majlis Amal (MMA), which had already rejected the referendum and termed it unconstitutional.

He alleged that President Gen Pervez Musharaf was pursuing the US policies, which could never be in the interest of Muslims. He said the MMA had decided to launch a joint campaign against the referendum as it was against the will of the people’s majority.

He accused Musharraf of attempting to turn the country into a secular state and warned that his policies would be opposed tooth and nail, with the help of the masses.

Meanwhile, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam has also opposed the referendum and urged the people to avoid casting their vote. According to a statement issued here on Friday, a meeting of the executive body of the JUI, Swat, was held with its president Qari Abdul Baais in the chair, which was attended by the ulema from across the district.

The participants criticized policies of the government and alleged that the idea of the referendum had been floated in order to distract the people from the tyranny the Muslims were being subjected to the world over.

The JUI workers were asked to stay away from the polling stations on the day of referendum and convince the people not to cast their vote in favour of the president.

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