September 6, 2003	Saturday	Rajab 8, 1424

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ISLAMABAD Sept 5: The Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy’s parliamentary group in the National Assembly is likely to invoke Article 6 of the Constitution against those responsible for the suspension of the 1973 Constitution.

This was indicated by the parliamentary leader of the ARD, Makhdoom Javed Hashmi while speaking at a joint news conference at the assembly cafeteria.

He warned that the country’s defence secrets were once again at risk and there was a danger of another Indian-imposed war.

He claimed that every war that was imposed by India on Pakistan in the past was the result of the fact that schemes made by the Pakistan army were leaked, like the disclosure of the decisions taken at the recent corps commanders’ conference.

He said the ARD and the MMA were together on a one-point agenda against the LFO but both clearly had differences on the issue of uniform as the latter allowed Gen Musharraf to keep wearing his uniform for a year.

“It is our understanding that Gen Musharraf is a dismissed general who has continued to wear the army uniform unlawfully after October 12,1999,” he said.

He expressed deep concern over the reports of operation against the Taliban and Al Qaeda remnants in Bannu which were dubbed military exercises.

He alleged that 25 helicopters carrying army personnel of foreign countries had landed in Bannu while the government was trying to keep the 124 deaths caused during the operation hidden from the press.

He challenged those trying to prove that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was informed about the Kargil adventure and said a commission under Justice Siddiqui should be set up to probe into the matter.

Mr Hashmi claimed that the recent successful flight of 17-JF Thunder plane, capable of delivering war heads in technological collaboration of China, was the result of an agreement which was singed in Beijing by the then premier Nawaz Sharif in 1993.

Commenting on the campaign to malign politicians in the National Assembly through, what he called, turncoats, the ARD leader said it clearly showed that the rulers had no appetite for legislation.

Earlier, deputy secretary-general of the MMA Liaqat Baloch declared that the alliance would stick to its stand on all the seven contentious issues when talks on the constitutional package would be resumed on Friday.

He reiterated the MMA’s firm stand against the army chief’s office saying it was kept by a president whose election to the highest office was also unconstitutional.

Mr Baloch welcomed Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali’s proposed visit to the United States and stressed that he should also address the UN General Assembly in place of Gen Musharraf.

The MMA leader condemned the ongoing operations in the NWFP and adjacent tribal areas carried out along side the FBI and warned that it should be stopped to avoid negative repercussions.