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| 05 March 2004 | Friday | 13 Muharram 1425 |
ARD may join hands with MMA: Nisar
ISLAMABAD, March 4: ARD acting president Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has said that the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy can consider joining hands with the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) in future
, provided its leadership proves its sincerity in the efforts for restoration of the Constitution.
Speaking at a news conference with the party's information secretary, Siddiqul Farooque, here on Thursday, he said that the MMA had played a negative role by making the Legal Framework Order (LFO) a part of the Constitution and endorsing the dictatorial acts of President Gen Pervez Musharraf.
The MMA provided protection to the president's uniform and deceived the ARD in the past, he said and added that the religio- political alliance itself had to suffer due to its support to the government and its leaders had even acknowledged it.
However, he said, if the MMA leaders were really sincere in launching a movement against President Musharraf, then the ARD could consider cooperating with it.
Mr Khan, who is also the acting parliamentary leader of the PML-N in the National Assembly, said the ARD had to postpone its mass contact drive due to Ashura, but would be launched soon.
Criticizing the government's policies, the ARD leader alleged that President Musharraf had been working on foreign agenda and acting as an overseer for the US in Pakistan.
He said Gen Musharraf had kept all powers in his hand, limiting the functioning of parliament and the federal cabinet to that of the Iraqi governing council.
He said the killing of about 70 people in Quetta, Wana and Phalia, mishandling of the nuclear proliferation issue, surrender in Kashmir, insult of nuclear scientists, price-hike and prevailing uncertainty showed that no government existed in Pakistan.
He said President Musharraf had not transferred powers to parliament, which was an "insult" to the nation and democracy. The ARD leader said Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali was contended to be called a prime minister, otherwise he had been working as a "staff officer" of Gen Musharraf.
He also criticized Federal Information Minister Sheikh RashidAhmed for "telling lies to the nation". He said the information minister said only six people had died in Quetta, while the independent media was giving the figure of 43. He accused the minister of "telling lies only to hide misdeeds of the government".
The ARD leader said that an army spokesman declared those killed in Wana as terrorists and the next day the government announced compensation for the deceased. He demanded setting up of a commission to probe the incident.
He also condemned the recent increase in the prices of petroleum products in the country and claimed the government was increasing prices to meet the budget deficit.
He said according to a report of the Asian Development Bank, about 40 percent people were living below poverty line in Pakistan. Siddiqul Farooque said two years ago Pakistan was exporter of wheat and at present it was importing the commodity. He alleged that few ministers of the ruling coalition were involved in hoarding and black marketing of flour.
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