May 05, 2008	Monday	Rabi-us-Sani 28, 1429

HYDERABAD, May 4: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl) leader Hafiz Hussain Ahmed has urged Pakistan the People’s Party (PPP) leadership to make its position clear on various issues facing the country to enable its allies to determine their direction in the light of their own policies and principles.

He said that recommendations drafted by a parliamentary committee on Balochistan that were to be presented before parliament on January 7, 2005, should be brought before parliament and whatever constitutional changes about royalty for gas, abolition of concurrent list, jobs were needed to address the burning issues should be made accordingly.

Addressing a press conference at a Madressah here on Sunday,he said all powers were being exercised by the president which is reflective from the fact that despite announcement by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Akhtar Mengal has neither been released nor cases against him withdrawn.

First of all, he said, army should be withdrawn from Balochistan and its people be allowed to join the mainstream.

He was critical of Asif Ali Zardari’s apology to Balochistan saying it needed a clarification whether it was for military operation, launched during Z.A. Bhutto’s regime in 70s or it was on behalf of President Pervez Musharraf. “In either way, he said, I am unable to understand because in 70s Zardari had nothing to do with PPP and likewise why he is getting apologetic for Pervez Musharraf’s crime”.

He said that it was time that things should be rectified instead of tendering apologies.

He emphasised the need for doing away with the 17th constitutional amendment but expressed scepticism that PPP was following those decisions that were taken in Abu Dhabi meeting between late Benazir Bhutto and President Pervez Musharraf before her return to Pakistan.

Mr Ahmed said that ever since holding February 18 general elections, entire nations was finding itself in a blind alley as far as constitutional issues were concerned because it had pinned hopes that future parliament would clear all the unconstitutional stuff that had been gathered over the years while there would be supremacy of parliament and judiciary would become independent.

He said that a package to protect Pervez Musharraf was being worked out to protect the National Reconciliation Ordinance. He said that basic issue concerned those unconstitutional steps, taken on November 3 last year by Pervez Musharraf but so far nothing could be done to rectify the situation.

He said that it was decided between Pervez Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto in Abu Dhabi that former would be accepted as civilian president and the latter would become prime minister while NRO would be promulgated and there would be a coalition government between PPP-PML. He opined that things were seemingly heading in the same direction now.

“That’s why I feel that minus one formula was floated after Murree Declaration. Then following Dubai meeting ‘plus all’ formula is floated according to which November 3 acts would be given legitimacy and even PCO judges would be accommodated besides the deposed one”, he said. He further said that as per Dubai meeting’s decisions Nawaz Sharif has backtracked from his earlier principled stand in order to save the coalition from total collapse.

He observed that following breach of commitment by Pervez Musharraf to doff uniform on December 31, 2004, MMA had dissociated itself from 17th amendment and had pledged at London’s multi-party conference to support any resolution seeking its repeal. But, he said, now no one was ready to touch it nor effective measures were being taken to correct wrong done on November 3. “It shows that some way out is being found out to accept Pervez Musharraf as legitimately elected president for five years”, he added.

He said that prime minister’s invitation to Musharraf to address parliament would be tantamount to accepting his legitimacy as elected president.