11 January 2005	Tuesday	29 Ziqa'ad 1425

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Jan 10: Leader of the opposition Maulana Fazalur Rehman has alleged that President Pervez Musharraf is an extremist who has ruined the constitution.

The MMA secretary-general claimed that the constitutional future of the country was at stake as long as Gen Musharraf kept charge of the two offices.

He was addressing as chief guest at a function of the Shaheen Auto Rickshaw Union in Town Hall here on Monday. He said religious elements were in majority in parliament and struggling for democracy in the country, but the president in uniform had become a symbol of extremism and was using state machinery to crush and malign them.

Mr Fazal accused the centre of violating provincial autonomy and grabbing the power they enjoyed under the constitution of 1973. He termed appointments of chief secretaries and inspectors-general police a clear violation of the provincial autonomy.

Maulana Fazal also alleged that the interior minister was involved in deteriorating law and order in the country, and said the government had deleted religion column from the passport on US instruction. He said the MMA government in the NWFP was busy in resolving people's problems.