PESHAWAR, Oct 24: The Awami National Party is planning a tough stand against President Pervez Musharraf on the uniform issue, party sources said.

"In days to come the party leadership would be attacking the president on the uniform issue," said a senior party leader.

The party's top brass would meet in Peshawar on Oct 26 to discuss President Musharraf's decision to continue to hold the offices of the president and the chief of army staff simultaneously.

The meeting, party sources said, would make a final decision on the issue and finalize a 'tough' stand against the president over the uniform issue.

"The ANP has been criticizing the Musharraf government's domestic and foreign policies, but never focused its criticism on the uniform issue," said the party leader.

This would reflect a significant change in the party's policies as its leaders would broaden the scope of the party's up-coming mass contact campaign.

The ANP is set to launch a mass contact campaign after Ramazan and to hold a series of public meetings at the district headquarters level.

Initially, the campaign was aimed at mobilizing public opinion in favour of ANP's stand against the possible construction of a large dam at Kalabagh.

Seminars to disseminate information regarding adverse affects of the dam project have also been planned in major cities of the country after Ramazan.

Leaders of nationalist forces and like minded political parties would also be invited to address the seminars in an effort to forge an alliance of the anti-Kalabagh dam forces.

But now, says party leader, the anti-Kalabagh dam campaign would also focus on the uniform issue.

Observers termed it a significant change in ANP's Policies, because so far most leaders of the party have been describing President Musharraf's decision to hold dual offices as a non- issue.

Addressing a public meeting at Peshawar on Oct 12, Nasim Wali Khan, chief of the NWFP chapter of ANP, had criticized the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal for launching a movement on the uniform issue.

"It is an attempt to deceive people by diverting their attention from the real issues," said Nasim Wali. However, said sources, after having second thoughts the party leaders were convinced that they would have to broaden the scope of their campaign to muster people's support.

The ANP might also cooperate with parties opposed to President Musharraf for holding dual offices, sources said.