QUETTA, May 9: Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed has said the MMA leadership was deceived by the government after it had supported the 17th constitutional amendment.

He cautioned that any deal with the military ruler would harm the movement for restoration of constitutional order in the country.

Addressing the Balochistan Bar Association here on Saturday, he said that lawyers’ movement would reach its logical end and help restore the independence of judiciary and supremacy of the Constitution.

He said that President Pervez Musharraf should quit and hand over power to the Senate chairman to take the country out of the political and constitutional crisis.

He said that an interim set-up should be formed in consultation with all political parties to hold transparent polls under an independent election commission.

He said that unity of the opposition was the need of the hour to free the people from the yoke of dictatorship and added that the divided opposition would benefit only the autocratic ruler.

Qazi Hussain said that the leadership of ARD, MMA, Ponam, ANP and Tehrik-i-Insaf during a meeting at his residence in Islamabad had decided to support the lawyers’ movement.