LAHORE, Oct 26: Various religious and political leaders have held local and international secret agencies responsible for the recent terror wave in the country.

They expressed these views at a meeting convened by the religious affairs committee of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) here on Monday evening.

They included Jehangir Badar, Riazur Rahman Yazdani, Engineer Saleemullah Khan, Munir Husain Gilani, Naubahar Shah, Prof Ijazul Hasan, Pir Mahfooz Mashhadi and others.

The speakers urged political parties to come forward for uniting the masses being divided by the army. They said the terror incidents were aimed at diverting public attention from the issues for which the incumbent rulers were going to take decisions against the wishes of the masses.

The meeting demanded that Gen Musharraf should immediately relinquish charge as army chief as well as president and hold general elections under an interim national government.

The committee has already set up a commission to probe the recent bomb blasts. The commission will release its report on Nov 11.