MARDAN, April 13: The president of the NWFP Pakistan Muslim League (QA), Salim Saifullah Khan, has announced support of his party for the referendum to be held on April 30 by Gen Pervez Musharraf.

“It (the referendum) is democratic and constitutional,” he said, while speaking at a meet-the-press programme at Mardan Press Club on Saturday.

Mr Khan wondered how some political and religious parties, which had supported the Ziaul Haq’s presidential referendum, could oppose the referendum being held by Gen Musharraf.

He observed that although there was a modus operandi in the constitution to elect the president through electoral colleges, including the national and provincial assemblies and the senate, “but now the situation is very critical following serious developments in the world, therefore, referendum move is not unconstitutional.”

He said the PML-QA supported the reforms the president had introduced, but it opposed the graduation condition.