28 July 2004	Wednesday	10 Jamadi-us-Saani 1425

KARACHI, July 27: An all parties conference, organized by the Jamat-i-Islami, on Tuesday called upon all opposition parties to shun their petty differences and unite on a platform to remove generals for the restoration of 1973 Constitution in its original shape.

Senator Prof Ghafoor Ahmed in his presidential remarks, pointed out that political governments did make mistakes and they suppressed national institutions, but under the army rule, all national institutions suffered an irreparable loss.

He said that political and religious leaders are not only being arrested and their movements banned, they are not even allowed to speak in the Senate. The senate chairman, he said, had sealed their questions pertaining to sending of army to Iraq and about corrupt persons in the parliament as stated by the chief of National Accountability Bureau.

He urged the government to declare that Pakistani army would not be sent to Iraq as people consider the present interim setup in Iraq as "unrepresentative" and "usurper". Expressing sympathies with the people of Bangladesh, Prof Ghafoor demanded of the government to help the flood-affected people.

Prof ND Khan of PPP said that the JI could play an important role in uniting the opposition on the platform of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal. Mir Nawaz Khan Marwat of PML-N said that political and democratic freedoms could not be ensured without rule of law and the rule of constitution.

Dr Mairaj-ul-Huda Siddiqui said a joint struggle be launched for democratic and political freedoms along with the struggle for human rights. Allama Arshad Zahid of Ahle Hadith said all parties should review their role and follow the principles of Aswa-i- Hasna and Khulfa-i-Rashdeen to overcome the crisis.

Stressing the need for keeping the army away from politics, National People's Party leader Syed Zia Abbas regretted that the chief of army staff himself adopted a political role by ruling the country in uniform.

Others who spoke at the APC included Haji Muzaffar Ali Shujra, Habibuddin Junedi of PPP, Abdul Sami Khan of FPP, Basharat Mirza of PDP, MPA Hameedullah, advocate, Jamshed Ahmed Khan of PML-N, Khan Amanullah Khan of PML-Q, Mohammad Zubair Khan of Tehreek-i-Insaf and Abdul Rasheed of Tehrik-i-Istiqlal. MPA Nasrullah Shaji conducted the APC.