LAHORE, Dec 14: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal has offered the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy that they (the MMA and the ARD) should sign a deal that they will not accept the rule of any new army ruler after the removal of Gen Pervez Musharraf through a mass movement.

Unfolding the offer at a press conference here on Sunday, MMA central leader Liaquat Baloch suggested that both the alliances should formulate a joint agenda for launching a mass movement against the army ruler.

End to secularism, enforcing Shariat, eliminating dictatorship, restoring supremacy of the constitution and parliament, ending US hegemony, opposing army operation in the tribal areas, forming a free and sovereign foreign policy, impartial accountability and purging economy of interest could be the points in the common agenda, he said.

Chiding the PPP for always expressing reservations about such an agenda, he said a consensus of all political forces on it could guarantee national security and a solution to the problems of the masses.

Rejecting PPP assertion that the MMA was going soft in talks with the government, he said the negotiators representing the government had always been admitting the fact that it was difficult to negotiate with the religious alliance. They had also been saying that the PPP was ready for a deal provided it was given a share in the government, cases against its leaders withdrawn and its chairperson allowed to return to the country, Mr Baloch said.

But, reminding the PPP leadership of its secret contacts with the government, he said the MMA had always rejected it as disinformation asking the government to struck the deal and the religious alliance would welcome it.

About ARD’s decision of opposing the constitutional bill to be presented in parliament in case of an agreement between the government and the MMA, he said no amendment in the past had ever been passed unanimously. However, he said the alliance had already accepted a part of the bill by supporting reserved seats for women and minorities and lowering the voters’ age.

He said most leaders of the PPP and the PML-N had admitted in a joint meeting of parliamentary parties of the opposition that it would be a big breakthrough if the MMA managed to bring the LFO in parliament.

Answering a question, he said the proposed bill would indemnify the Oct 12, 1999, takeover.

Mr Baloch said the MMA had offered support to Gen Musharraf if he took recourse to the electoral college. But the time had passed, while Gen Musharraf had also decided to seek a vote of confidence instead of taking recourse to the electoral college.

Replying to a question about new MMA president, he said a decision in this regard would be taken at the Dec 17 supreme council meeting to be held in Multan.

He said MMA provincial councils would meet at all four provincial capitals to review arrangements for an anti-government protest drive. The first such march would be held from Muzaffargarh to Dera Ghazi Khan on Dec 18; second from Multan to Okara on Dec 19; and the third from Sheikhupura to Sargodha on Dec 20.

On a question about Pakistani peace overtures, he said the religious alliance neither believed in backdoor diplomacy nor in the confidence-building measures being taken by the Jamali government. He said India had always been exploiting the situation while regional peace was impossible without resolving the Kashmir issue.