05 February 2004	Thursday	13 Zilhaj 1424

LAHORE, Feb 4: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal has asked Gen Pervez Musharraf to quit for taking Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan's issue to the National Security Council instead of parliament.

MMA acting president Qazi Husain Ahmad said this step had proved that Gen Musharraf was not ready to go along with the constitution and the democratic system given by himself.

Accusing the president of exposing Dr Qadeer to media trial, he said the government was assassinating character of a great nuclear scientist and the nation would not forgive humiliation of its heroes, said a statement issued here on Wednesday.

He criticized Gen Musharraf for "ignoring principles of justice in investigating proliferation of nuclear secrets."

The Qazi appealed to the nation to observe complete strike tomorrow (Friday) to express solidarity with the nuclear scientists and condemn those, who had put the country's integrity at stake.

Meanwhile, the alliance's local chapter claims that trader bodies of 50 markets have assured their support to its strike call.

The local MMA leaders and traders held a press conference and issued a list of the trader associations, which would join the strike call.

MMA City President Mian Maqsood said peaceful demonstrations would be held at 40 places in the city to show the masses' resentment against humiliation of nuclear scientists who, he said, were benefactors of the country.

The major show would be organized outside the Masjid-i-Shuhada on The Mall at 11am, as participants in rallies to be held at Shahdara Morr, Bhati and Delhi gates, Chauburji, Lakshmi Chowk, Scheme Morr, Yateem Khana Chowk, Ichhra, Muslim Town Morr and Chungi Amar Sadhu would also join it.

About Dr Qadeer's confession, the MMA leader said: "When an ordinary magistrate does not accept a statement given by an accused in police custody then how can the nation accept this extracted confession from a person, who has been under house arrest for three months."