ISLAMABAD, May 4: The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy, and Jamaat-i-Islami have separately decided here on Saturday to publish white papers on the irregularities allegedly committed by the government and the Election Commission to get President Musharraf elected for a fresh term of five years.

The ARD took the decision of publishing a white paper at a meeting of the heads of its component parties here at the PPP Central Secretariat. However, Jamaat’s plan of preparing a white paper were made public by Qazi Hussain Ahmed at a separate press conference.

The heads of alliance’s component parties which met here at the central secretariat of Pakistan People’s Party, termed the referendum as a “farce” and demanded resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) for giving a certificate of legality to the referendum “fraud.”

The ARD leaders also demanded that a government of national consensus should be set up and an autonomous and independent election commission should be constituted for ensuring free, fair and impartial elections.

“The ARD expresses its total lack of confidence in the election commission and demands that a new independent and impartial election commission should be constituted in consultation with the major political parties to ensure its acceptability as an impartial body,” said a resolution adopted at the meeting.

At a news briefing later conducted jointly at PPP secretariat, ARD leaders expressed serious doubts about holding of fair, free and impartial elections under the present government and election commission which they said had enacted the drama of referendum.

The opposition alliance also agreed on convening a national conference of all political and religious parties, lawyers associations, labour unions and journalists bodies and other organizations to chalk out a joint strategy against the present government.

The alliance component parties had given mandate to Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan for contacting other parties including Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal and other associations and groups to invite them at the proposed APC, central information secretary of ARD Syed Zafar Ali Shah said.

Mr Shah said that the referendum was discussed in details at the meeting which concluded that the people had rejected the Musharraf government by staying away from the polling booths.

Similar reports had been received from all over the country that all the polling stations remained deserted throughout the day and a very small turnout was witnessed, he said.

The ARD meeting also called for lifting of ban on political activities immediately. It said that all the political leaders detained on the pretext of fabricated and concocted cases of NAB should be released immediately and politically motivated and selective accountability should be stopped.

The chairperson of PPP Benazir Bhutto and President of PML Mian Nawaz Sharif should be allowed to return and take part in the elections, said a resolution.

The leaders of the PML Zafar Iqbal Jhagra and Tehmina Daultana read out the resolutions and replied all the questions. Malik Hakmeen Khan and Syed Qaim Ali Shah represented PPP but remained silent.

Mr Shah disclosed that the ARD concluded that after the referendum fraud no member of the alliance would accept any official invitation of any meeting with the president which would not have an open agenda and that too with the prior approval of the alliance.

Earlier in a separate press conference chief of Jamaat-i- Islami said that Majlis-i-Shoora of the party would soon meet to discuss the current political situation and chalk out future strategy.

He also demanded constitution of a government of national consensus and an autonomous election commission.

The JI chief said an all parties conference of all those political entities opposing Musharraf should be convened to evolve a joint strategy for restoration of democracy in the country.