08 January 2005	Saturday	26 Ziqa'ad 1425

PESHAWAR, Jan 7: Federal Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao has accused the opposition of trying to exploit non-issues like president's uniform and the religion column in the passport to serve their ulterior motives.

Speaking at a public meeting in Utmanzai, Charsadda, about 35km from here on Friday, he said opposition's protest calls would fail like that of its black day.

At the meeting, leaders of the People's Party Parliamentarians, Abdullah Jan Khan and Barrister Arshad Abdullah, and members of their families and supporters, announced joining the Pakistan People's Party (S).

Mr Jan, brother of former MPA Khisro Khan, who had defeated Awami National Party's Rahbar Abdul Wali Khan in the general elections, reposed full confidence in the leadership of Mr Sherpao.

The federal minister lashed out at the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal and the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy for fabricating various pretexts to serve their petty political interests. But their hollow slogans would fail to hoodwink the masses, he added.

On the one hand they criticize the present democratic system, but enjoyed all its benefits, he said adding that the opposition had been playing a contradictory rolebeing a part of the system.

Mr Sherpao said the local body elections would be held this year, and PPP and its allies would fully participate in these elections. The local body elections were being held for the second time, which showed government's political will and its belief in the continuation of democratic dispensation.

The opposition, he said, was also critical of the devolution plan, but they would also participate in the polls. He regretted that there was a disparity in words and deeds of the opposition and they were playing tricks with the masses. He advised the opposition to adopt democratic and constitutional measures in politics.