01 August 2004	Sunday	14 Jamadi-us-Saani 1425

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LAHORE, July 31: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal has supported the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy's demand for holding fresh general election in the country, saying the step was 'unavoidable.'

"The PML government has failed to smoothly run the affairs of the state and control deteriorating law and order situation. Therefore, it has no right to remain in power," says MMA central leader Gen K.M. Azhar (retired).

Speaking at a reception held for the Punjab Assembly's Press Gallery here on Saturday, he claimed that the MMA was already making preparations for the purpose and its mass contact drive was part of it.

He, however, said the new elections should be held under an interim government like it happened in the past and with the appointment of a new and an autonomous election commission, whose verdict could not be challenged in any court of law.

Replying to a question about sending troops to Iraq, the ex-serviceman said the constitution described duties of the armed forces as safeguarding geographical frontiers of the country and helping the civil administration in maintaining law and order.

There was no provision to send troops abroad for protecting the interests of any other country or institution, he added.

According to him, dispatching the troops at this time would be like making them scapegoat, as the situation in Iraq was volatile and there would be serious threat to their lives.

Answering another question, Gen Azhar opposed formation of the Kargil commission as being demanded by the PML-N and other opposition parties, arguing that it was too late to set up the body.

"Talking of the issue at this time will hamper the peace process being initiated by both Pakistan and India." He, however, said the commander whose defective war strategy resulted in great losses to the army in Kargil should have been penalized.

Lack of accountability, he said, had resulted in repetition of the same mistakes in Wana, South Waziristan.

JUP provincial chief Qari Zawwar Bahadur warned the government against re-opening the blasphemy law issue. He said the law had been unanimously passed by parliament with full trust of various religious schools of thought in it. He added that amending the law would mean exploding a nuclear bomb.

Defending the law, Gen Azhar said it provided protection to the suspected blasphemer by giving him in the police custody. Otherwise, an accused roaming freely in streets was likely to become a target of some emotional believer, he argued.

Moreover, he said, courts of law were there to decide about false cases registered under the law. In many such cases, the higher courts had reverted the decisions of subordinate courts, he added.