QUETTA, March 10: PPP leader Taj Haidar has announced that the party high command did not believe in an underhand deal with military rulers and stated that the party strongly opposed any political role for the army.

Speaking at a conference in the press club on Thursday, the former senator stated that the party wants polls in 2005, formation of an independent election commission and restoration of the constitution.

Mr. Taj said that Benazir Bhutto was unchangeable leader of the party and all members and leaders, including Asif Ali Zardari, fully support her to lead the PPP to protect the democratic and constitutional rights of the people.

He alleged that the army ruler “intentionally wants to provoke the people of Balochistan to create a confrontational atmosphere to pave the way to launch a military operation against Balochs to achieve their ulterior motives”.

The PPP leader emphasized that political parties and patriotic forces should join hands to force the government to abandon anti-Baloch policies saying that political issues should be resolved politically instead of using state machinery to suppress the political forces.

He demanded the abolition of the concurrent legislative list so that these subjects were transferred to federating units. He cautioned the people that parliamentary committee recommendations would deceive the political groups by proposing that the federation should retain important subjects in the list.

Mr. Taj said that the PPP opposed the establishment of cantonments in Balochistan, adding that huge funds allocated for the constructions of garrisons should be utilized for the welfare of the people.

He said the party was not against the uplift plan but the projects in Balochistan should be carried out that ensure the participation of the local population to benefit from the progress.