KARACHI, Jan 13: The Muttahida Majlis-i- Amal has demanded open debates on foreign and internal affairs, fiscal policies and law and order in the country. "The government must take the Parliament into confidence on the Saarc declaration and the ongoing talks for holding composite dialogue with India in February, and seek guidance from the Parliament on all such important issues"

This demand was made by the central leader of the MMA, Liaquat Baloch, while addressing a press conference at Idara Noor-i-Haq on Tuesday afternoon. Terming the privatisation of the Habib Bank Ltd a doubtful deal, he urged the government to debate the issue in the Senate and the National Assembly.

Mr Baloch, who is also deputy chief of the Jamat-i-Islami, said the supreme council of the MMA would be holding its meeting on the eve of the Chehlum of its late president Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani on Jan 18, and would launch a countrywide campaign for enforcement of its 17-point Sharia programme.

He said the MMA had decided to observe a solidarity day with Kashmir on February 5 throughout the country by organising rallies and meetings and forming chains of human hands.

"We think that the solution of the Kashmir issue lies in the holding of a plebiscite in accordance with the UN resolutions, and any deviation from this principle will weaken Pakistan's stand. We will not allow the government to bargain over the sacrifices of 80,000 Kashmiris," he said.

He also said that the oath taken by the judges of the Supreme Court and the high courts under the PCO became ineffective, and they should be given a fresh oath under the Constitution.

Condemning the murder of Ali Muhammad Sonara he said the law and order situation in Karachi had gravely deteriorated and the provincial government had failed to provide protection to the lives and property of the people.

Mr Baloch said if decisions were implemented at the University of Karachi on the basis of liking and disliking by ignoring merit, seniority and the standard fixed by Higher Education Commission, the education system would suffer.

Earlier, in a detailed statement Mr Baloch highlighted the "MMA achievements" of steering out the country from political and constitutional crises.

He said it was for the first time that it was made obligatory under the Constitution to the army general to give up his army office. In the past opposition parties despite their movements had failed to get that target.

"Likewise, contrary to the past practice of yielding to all the laws enforced during military rules, the MMA had succeeded in getting recognized the principle that only the Parliament was empowered to amend the Constitution and approve the LFO," he said and added that after an end to the constitutional crisis and the protests in the Parliament, the government was left wit no excuse for not solving the problems facing the people.

The MMA leader said they had taken all opposition parties into confidence during the negotiations and the agreement with the government was an open book as there was no secret deal, but the ARD leadership were issuing statements against the MMA as the end of the constitutional crisis had brought an end to political blackmailing. "This attitude shows they want to strengthen Gen Musharraf, continue the constitutional crisis and comply wit the US agenda.

He alleged that the "secular US lobby and secret hands of the establishment" were active against the MMA which opposed the pro- US policies of Gen Pervez Musharraf.