LAHORE, Feb 20: The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy capped its first eight-day round of protest campaign against President Musharraf on Friday with the demand that a government of national consensus be formed immediately to hold fresh elections.

Alliance secretary-general Iqbal Zafar Jhagra told Dawn that from today new polls would be the official demand of the opposition alliance, and it would not only label the presidency of Gen Musharraf unconstitutional but also the government.

The ARD would hold a public meeting in Sahiwal on March 7, which would either be preceded or followed by a meeting of the heads of coalition components to decide the future course of action, he said.

The demand for fresh elections was first made by the then ARD president, Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, on Jan 16 last year, saying that massive rigging had robbed the Oct 10 polls of credibility. However, he had subsequently taken back the demand as his personal view.

The call for a government of national consensus was also made on the first day of the protest campaign on Jan 13 through a resolution by the participants of a camp, but ARD Chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim had not backed it.

Mr Jhagra said the matter would come under discussion at the next meeting of the heads of ARD parties. About the possibility of cooperation between the ARD and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, Mr Jhagra said only the ARD leaders were competent to take a decision on the subject.

He said the MMA had disappointed the nation by extending support to the government to have the 17th constitutional amendment passed from parliament. This, he said, was against the advice of the ARD.

Mr Jhagra said in view of the gravity of the situation and the signals sent by MMA Secretary-General Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the two alliances could only have a working relationship. This, he said, meant that they could cooperate with each other in requisitioning sessions of the National Assembly or the Senate.

Although the turnout at the protest camps in Punjab has been disappointing, the ARD leader said the response was beyond his expectations. He claimed that the participation in the camps grew by the day, which established that the electorate wanted a genuine democratic process in the country.

Answering a question, the ARD secretary-general said the opposition would remove Gen Musharraf through public pressure. He said no dictator could ever resist public pressure and Gen Musharraf was no exception.

He said it was a fact that so far the opposition had singled out Gen Musharraf for criticism, but now it would take on the government as well. He said the government was working under the cover of a dictator and thus both should go.

In his opinion the government of national consensus should have representation from all walks of life, including lawyers and human rights organizations.

Asked who should set up such a government, Mr Jhagra said Gen Musharraf was certainly not the right man to do that. He said the general should quit immediately and a new president should be elected in accordance with provisions of the Constitution.