10 November 2004	Wednesday	26 Ramazan 1425

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HYDERABAD, Nov 9: People's Party Parliamentarians president Makhdoom Mohammad Amin Fahim has denied any deal between his party and the government and said to get rid of the general's government , people will have to unite on one platform and take a collective decision.

Speaking at an Iftar party hosted by Syed Ali Mohammad Shah at Gulistan-i-Sajjad and talking to journalists here on Tuesday, he said precautionary measures would also have to be taken to ensure that no general in future was allowed to capture power.

Answering a question about the resolution of the government party claiming that a general was eligible for the post of the president because according to the Constitution, any Pakistani who was qualified to become a member of the National Assembly was also qualified to become the president of the country, Mr Fahim said he had told the assembly that if this was the criteria then any member of the assembly was also eligible for the post of the Chief of Army Staff.

He made it clear that the PPP had not entered into any deal with the government. He added that no deal was in the offing on the matter of Asif Ali Zardari.

He said Mr Zardari had remained steadfast even after eight years of imprisonment and had faced the ordeal with courage. He said false cases had been registered against Mr Zardari and he, therefore, should be set free.

Answering a question that President Gen Pervez Musharraf had yet to put his signatures on the uniform bill passed by the National Assembly and the Senate, the PPP leader said when he would be free from other engagements, he would sign the bill.

He said an army general was being allowed to become the president of the country through 17th amendment to the Constitution.

He said his party was struggling for supremacy of the Constitution. He said even the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal was protesting on the issue of the president's uniform. He did not rule out an alliance between the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy and the MMA on the uniform issue.

Mr Fahim said he would welcome everyone who was prepared to cooperate with him against the 17th constitutional amendment and the uniform issue.

He said talks between the ARD and the MMA for launching a joint struggle would be resumed after Eid.

He believed that the MMA had now realized that its support for the 17th constitutional amendment was not a correct decision.

He hoped that the masses would support democratic forces in getting rid of the army rule.

The PPP leader said his party was taking necessary precautions in its struggle for restoration of a true democracy. He said these precautions were necessary to ensure that no other general captured power as a result of people's struggle.