ISLAMABAD, Jan 9: Secretary-General of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) Iqbal Zafar Jhagra has criticised the government for preferring a regional political party to the national opposition parties while making major policy decisions.

Talking to Dawn here on Monday, Mr Jhagra said Gen Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had assured the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain that the government would not only stop the military operation in Balochistan but also abandon the Kalabagh dam project.

Mr Jhagra said the opposition parties had been protesting against the announcement of Kalabagh dam construction without forging a consensus and launching military operation in Balochistan for the past several months.

He said the ARD with nationalist leaders from Balochistan had also arranged a protest demonstration outside Parliament House on January 2 demanding an end to the military operation in the province but no one from the government contacted them.

On the other hand, he said, on a “false ultimatum” by the MQM, which was a ruling coalition partner, both the prime minister and the president contacted Altaf Hussain in London. He said this act of Gen Musharraf had proved that he was not a legitimate president of the country.

Moreover, Mr Jhagra said it was surprising that on the one hand Gen Musharraf was accusing the opposition parties of taking dictation from their leaders sitting abroad, on the other he had contacted a leader living in exile in London to discuss important national issues.