ISLAMABAD April 13: The opposition leadership on Sunday lashed out at President Musharraf’s supporters for promoting the view that he should continue as COAS and that the LFO had become part of the Constitution.

They said uniformed generals in politics had severely damaged the image of Pakistan army.

Speaking at a function presided over by the PML-Q Vice-President Lt-Gen Abdul Majid, the acting president and parliamentary leader of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), Makhdoom Javed Hashmi blamed army generals for the Kargil “fiasco” but the price, he said, was paid by the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Responding to a question from the audience he said that after the bloody clashes with the Indian army in Kargil, the three services chiefs sought an emergency meeting with the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif at the Governor’s House, Lahore, and admitted that they had committed a “misadventure” in Kargil.

Then, they requested Mr Sharif to take all necessary steps to save them from the impending embarrassment even if it meant visiting the United States. As a result, Mr Hashmi added, the Washington visit of the premier was finalized.

On the prime minister’s return Gen Musharraf called on him and saluted him for achieving a ceasefire, Mr Hashmi added.

The PML leader also charged that the present regime headed by a military general had agreed to share command and control system of Pakistan’s nuclear technology with the United States which, he said, would gravely hurt Pakistan’s interest and army’s prestige.

He recalled that the partyless assembly of 1985 had defied the then military ruler for 38 days forcing him to agree to a number of amendments in the constitutional package, whereas, he lamented, the majority in a party-based assembly was supporting Gen Musharraf.

Referring to the information minister’s recent statements with regard to Indian threats of war he warned, “these war threats by India were being hurled on the behest of United States which had made a triangle with Israel and India in the region.

Deputy secretary-general of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, said the alliance was determined to continue talks with the government on the LFO and the issue of president’s military position.

He said that the MMA component parties were part of the opposition and will remain so.

He alleged that the information minister’s statements were aimed at sabotaging the process of dialogue since he was afraid of being stripped off his ministry after Mushahid Hussain and Nisar Memon were elected to the senate.

PML-Q vice-president Gen Majid called for forging unity in the ranks of the nation, and strengthening the economy to face the challenges ahead.