November 20, 2006	Monday	Shawwal 27, 1427

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LAHORE, Nov 19: Sindh PPP Secretary-General Nafees Siddiqui apprehends that the country will face a very serious crisis and holding of fresh election will not be possible in case the MMA legislators resign their seats.

“The MMA people should respect the mandate of the elected representatives and accept the Women’s Protection Bill, just like other parties had accepted the 17th constitutional amendment, passed with the support of the religious alliance, despite their reservations,” he said while talking to Dawn here on Sunday.

He said in case the MMA carried out the threat of resignations, it would not be possible for anyone to predict the consequences the country might have to face.

“The MMA should review its decision of quitting the assemblies.”

The MMA leaders are due to meet in Islamabad on Dec 7 and 8 to decide their strategy to quit the assemblies. Some leaders are also hinting at the possibility of staging a sit-in in Islamabad in January, which will continue till the desired results are achieved.

The PPP leader said the next election should be absolutely free and fair with a permission to former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif to contest.

Siddiqui said difficult times were ahead for Pakistan and both the former premiers should be allowed to play their role in national reconstruction.

He made it clear that the PPP did not call for the withdrawal of cases against Ms Bhutto. Instead, he said, the party was demanding a fair trial.

He said on returning to Pakistan, the PPP chairperson would be willing to face all cases against her.

Mr Siddiqui said the PPP was not opposed to the institution of the army. Instead, he said, it was averse to the army’s involvement in political affairs as a result of which the country was negatively affected.

The PPP wanted that all institutions worked within the limits set by the Constitution.

He said his party was willing to give the army an exit strategy. But he made it clear that the party was not ready to accept Gen Musharraf as president for another term.

He said the PPP wanted a president elected through a procedure laid down in the Constitution, and a general was not eligible to contest the election unless he completed two years after his retirement from the government service.

Siddiqui believed that liberal, tolerant and democratic forces would win in case the election was free and fair. But if both the exiled former prime ministers were marginalised, non-liberal forces would emerge victorious.

He said time had come that the parliament should be empowered to take all major decisions.

The PPP leader underlined the need for a dialogue between all liberal forces.