November 02, 2007	Friday	Shawwal 20, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Nov 1: The leadership of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) on Thursday urged the corps commanders to stop supporting Gen Pervez Musharraf and save the country from bloodshed.

“We demand of the corps commanders to distance themselves from Gen Pervez Musharraf,” said acting PML-N president Makhdoom Javed Hashmi at a news conference. He was accompanied by secretary general Iqbal Zafar Jhagra and president of the party’s Islamabad chapter Dr Tariq Chaudhry.

He alleged that Gen Musharraf had abrogated the Constitution and challenged his legitimacy as president.

Mr Hashmi rejected reports about a possibility of imposition of martial law or state of emergency, saying that the judiciary, lawyers, civil society organisations and media had become active and alive to their responsibilities.

Mr Hashmi said the PML-N did not recognise Gen Musharraf as a legitimate or defacto president. He said Gen Musharraf was a controversial person and every decision taken by him would remain controversial.

He said Gen Musharraf had no right to impose a caretaker government. “We will not accept any arrangement under Gen Musharraf,” he announced.

The PML-N leader said that the country could not afford another controversial election as it could cause massive bloodshed in the country. However, he said the PML-N had not yet decided to boycott the next election if held under the present military regime.

He said the PML-N had taken part in the 2002 election under protest and at present the party was following the same policy.

Mr Hashmi also rejected the proposed code of conduct announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for the next general election, saying the code had been drafted to “curb political activities”.

He said the ECP was no more an independent institution and political parties had no faith in it.

He criticised the ECP for framing the code of conduct in an ‘autocratic style’ and without consulting political parties.

He advised politicians not to seek any favour from army generals as it was their last chance to save the federation.