ISLAMABAD, July 21: Leaders of major opposition parties on Thursday expressed disappointment over President Pervez Musharraf’s address to the nation and described his remarks about religious organizations and seminaries as a “proof that the military rulers are dancing to the tune of their foreign masters”. People’s Party Parliamentarians’ Senator Farhatullah Babar said in a statement that the address had once again exposed the military ruler.

Mr Babar said Gen Musharraf’s rhetoric about ‘enlightened moderation’ was a facade to conceal his designs against the opposition while he was actually spawning forces of extremism. “The general spoke of provincial harmony but in the same breadth struck at the root of provincial harmony by insisting that he will build controversial Kalabagh dam,” he added.

The PPP spokesman said General Musharraf appeared to sound tough against extremists but this was not the first time that he had shown this side of his face. “Gen Musharraf has yet to demonstrate that the tough talk against extremists is a shift in strategic thinking and not a mere rhetoric,” he said.

Information secretary of Pakistan Muslim League (N) Siddiqul Farooque said six years of authoritarian rule of Pervez Musharraf had proved that he had failed on all fronts.

He said Gen Musharraf was “dancing to the tunes of foreign masters just to get another lease for his unconstitutional rule”.

He said Gen Musharraf had criticized the religio-political parties while he should be thankful to them for providing him oxygen by supporting the 17th constitutional amendment.

Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) president and Amir of Jamaat-i-Islami Qazi Hussain Ahmed said that enlightened moderation required genuine democracy in the country.

The MMA chief said that Gen Musharraf set a deadline of December for registration of seminaries but he forgot that he had also promised to doff his military uniform in December 2004. When he himself did not fulfil his promise how could he expect obedience from people, Qazi Hussain asked.

He said that the army chief should not misuse his office by running the campaign for the local government elections.