March 24, 2006	Friday	Safar 23, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, March 23: Leaders of major opposition parties on Thursday vowed to continue their joint struggle to bring genuine democracy in the country. Speaking at seminar on “Pakistan and future challenges”, organized by Satellite Town Nazim Mian Imran Hayat in connection with Pakistan Day, the leaders of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) accused the rulers of leading the country to a major disaster.

PPP leader Ghulam Mustafa Khar said only former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif could bring the country out of the quandary. He said people were fed up with the policies of the regime. He said the government had lost its confidence among the people of Pakistan.

Mr Khar, who has recently rejoined the PPP, said he was ready to play the role of a bridge among all opposition groups and parties in their struggle for restoration of democracy in the country. He claimed that the PPP would give a surprising result to Gen Musharraf and his partners in the next elections. He said activists and workers of the PPP would show it to the military generals that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was still alive.

Mr Khar said those who had earlier got PPP tickets by use of money and influence would be stopped from playing any role in the party.

Speaking on the occasion, MMA leader Hafiz Hussain Ahmed criticized the ruling PML for taking all employees of the local bodies to Lahore to attend a so-called party convention. He said the ruling party had even taken sweepers of the municipal administrations to Lahore to show its strength.

The MMA leader said all opposition parties had pledged to keep unity among their ranks. He said people would not allow military generals to make important national decisions.

Another MMA leader and MNA from the same constituency Hanif Abbasi said the present rulers were working against the principles and vision of the Quaid-i-Azam. He regretted that politicians had also become a tool in the hands of the military rulers in the past. He said time had come to learn lessons from the past mistakes.

PPP Senator Babar Awan said those who were against the creation of Pakistan later joined hands with the establishment. He criticized the policies of the government and said 42 per cent of the total population of the country was living below the poverty line. He said Benazir Bhutto had provided jobs to over 1.25 million people during her short stints in the government.

Nazim Imran Hayat, PML-N Rawalpindi president Akhtar Mehmood and PPP Rawalpindi city office-bearers also spoke on the occasion.