24 December 2004	Friday	11 Ziqa'ad 1425

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PESHAWAR, Dec 23: MMA chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad has said that if Gen Musharraf does not give up his uniform by Dec 31, the 17 Amendment to the Constitution will stand abrogated.

"The 17 Amendment was passed after one year's negotiations between the government and the MMA leadership over the issue of uniform and the MMA helped Government passed the amendment by parliament on the condition that in exhcnage for this MMA support in parliament, President Gen Pervez Musharraf would give up his uniform by Dec 31, 2004," the MMA leader said.

Mr Qazi said this while talking to reporters after a function held in connection with Christmas celebrations at Saint Jones Cathedral Church here on Thursday. He said the president had himself announced that he (the president) would give up his uniform by Dec 31, 2004, and now he had backed out of his pledge and that was why the 17 Amendment would also stand annulled because the government had not honoured its part of the deal.

The president, he said, was trying to turn the country into a secular state on instructions from the United States and that was the reason why the education system of the country was being affiliated with the Aga Khan Education Board.

In reply to a question about government's offer for talks on the issue of uniform, he said the MMA had not received any such offer. He ruled out any future talks with the government until the latter fulfilled its earlier pledges made to the MMA leadership.