ISLAMABAD, May 21: Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal Vice-President Qazi Hussain Ahmed warned on Wednesday that the MMA, in collaboration with other opposition parties, would launch a mass mobilization campaign if talks on the LFO failed and President General Pervez Musharraf did not relinquish his army post by Aug 14.

Speaking at a news conference, the parliamentary leader of the MMA said the opposition’s struggle was aimed at restoring the sovereignty of parliament and independence of the government.

The Jamaat-i-Islami chief, who returned from a five-day visit to Iran on Tuesday, said no civilian set-up or parliament could serve people as long as an army chief with all powers in his hands was sitting over its head.

He admitted different parties in the combined opposition held different views on many issues but maintained all of them were united on the question of sovereignty of parliament and separation of the offices of president and army chief.

He said the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal had made a sincere offer to the president to help him get elected as constitutional president if he stepped down as COAS.

Commenting on a report that quoted corps commanders as having expressed the desire at a meeting on Tuesday that Gen Musharraf should retain the office of COAS while continuing as president, the MMA leader demanded of generals to refrain from getting involved in politics.

He believed that generals’ involvement in politics was endangering the security of the country.

They should maintain discipline as required of them by the Constitution, he said.

Asked to comment on Commonwealth’s refusal to withdraw suspension of Pakistan’s membership, Qazi Hussain Ahmed said though joining or remaining away from the Commonwealth was not important, it should make Gen Musharraf realize that no one in the world would recognize Pakistan as a democratic country as long as the COAS held the office of the president.

In reply to a question about a recent statement by the AJK prime minister that the so-called Chenab formula could become the basis for resolution of the Kashmir issue, he said: “Kashmir dispute is the core issue which should be first on any agenda of talks with India as we are committed to support Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination”.