RAWALPINDI, May 5: Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Punjab deputy chief Mian Mohammed Aslam, MNA, has said all political and religious parties should formulate a joint strategy to meet what he said grave challenges confronting the country.

Speaking at a gathering of party workers here, he said the JI's basic difference with the government was on the political role of the military, a press release said. Mr Aslam said important decisions ranging from changes in curriculums to the military actions in the tribal areas had been made outside the parliament and under foreign pressure.

He said, "we do not want to destabilise the government as his party was of the view that despite all its weaknesses the parliament should be allowed to complete its tenure."

He said the MMA considered the National Security Council as an unnecessary institution and added that they would abolish it whenever they got a simple majority in the parliament.

There is no role for the military in politics, he said, adding that President Pervez Musharraf should stop persisting on keeping two offices simultaneously. He said constitutionally the president was bound to quit as the army chief before December 31.