SIALKOT, April 11: President Pervez Musharraf has said he will take the nation into confidence on the reference filed against Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry after the SJC verdict and on the Lal Masjid-Hafsa Madressah issue.

Addressing a public meeting at the Garrison Park in Sialkot on Wednesday,

He said the reference was a constitutional issue but the opposition was trying to politicise it.

He said the government never wanted to weaken the country’s supreme judiciary and it was making sincere efforts for upholding and strengthening the prestige of the institution. “I firmly believe in the power, liberty and supremacy of the judiciary,” he said.

President Musharraf urged the nation to cooperate with the government for peaceful and amicable resolution of the burning issue of Hafsa Madressah and Lal Masjid. He said the women of the madressah were ‘misguided’ and they were trying to spread extremism. He urged the nation to come forward to curb extremism and promote peace and religious harmony. He said the announcement of jihad, if needed, was the obligation of the government.

The president said certain political elements wanted dissolution of the assemblies but it would never happen.

He said the next general elections were as extremely important for the future of the country and retrogressive elements would have to be defeated at all costs by the people. He said the extremist forces were tarnishing the image of Islam.

He said that elections would be held in a free, fair and transparent manner.He said the construction of Kalabagh dam would be started in accordance with a schedule announced by the government. He said Kalabagh, Basha and all other dams would be built at all costs. He said early construction of the dams was direly needed.

He stressed the need for forging unity for crushing anti-Pakistan lobbies which, he said, were creating obstacles in the development of the country.