ISLAMABAD, Aug 5: The All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) has asked the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) government in NWFP to resign after the decision of the Supreme Court on the Hasba Bill.

Talking to a group of reporters on Friday, APMA Chairman Shahbaz Bhatti said the “unconstitutional, undemocratic and irresponsible policies of the MMA government had damaged the image of the country internationally.

“If Hasba Bill will again be tabled in the assembly by the MMA government, the minorities and patriotic citizens of Pakistan will launch protest movement and utilize all constitutional, legal and democratic methods to stop Talibanization and extremism in NWFP,” Mr Bhatti said.

The APMA chief said the Hasba Bill had increased the sense of fear, deprivation and insecurity among minorities and women in NWFP.

He said such a bill would not only damage the economic prosperity but impose a system of control on social and religious behaviour similar to those under which the Afghans suffered “during notorious Taliban regime,” thereby threatening the freedom of thought, conscience, religion or beliefs and related human rights of both Muslim and non-Muslim citizens.

Mr Bhatti said the imposition of such a regime in NWFP would set an example that could be emulated elsewhere in Pakistan and beyond. He said after the decision of the Supreme Court on the Hasba Bill, the MMA should not have any moral reason to pursue and table the bill again in the assembly. “If they will do so, it will be again considered undemocratic, unconstitutional and illegal,” he said.

He said even the patriotic citizens of the country would not allow “the religious extremists to grab liberal, enlightened and democratic country of the Quaid-i-Azam for the imposition of religious martial law.”

The APMA chairman said the MMA wanted to use the Hasba Bill as one of their main election planks in the local bodies elections. Mr Bhatti demanded of the federal government to take constitutional, democratic and legal actions against NWFP government for their unconstitutional steps and stop enforcement of the Hasba Bill in the province.