LAHORE, July 6: Religious parties are consulting each other to launch a joint movement against repeal of the capital punishment by the PPP government.

Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadith president Senator Prof Sajid Mir said this while briefing media after a meeting of the central executive committee of his party here on Sunday.

“Consultation for a joint drive is on and a strategy will soon be announced in this regard,” Mir said.

He said no one was authorized, including the head of state or the head of government, to commute the death sentence into life term.

The MJAH president regretted that religious parties were not making any effort to establish a new political alliance after the dissolution of the six-party Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal.

He said that JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Jamaat-i-Islami head Qazi Husain Ahmad were responsible for the disbanding of the MMA.

About PPP co-chairperson Asif Zardari’s statement against religious seminaries, Mir said the PPP would fail to appease Washington by taking any action against seminaries because these were in a better position to defend.

He said the MJAH executive committee meeting had demanded convening of immediate joint session of parliament for impeaching President Pervez Musharraf.

He regretted that the masses had given their verdict against the president through their ballots, but the elected leadership was failing to discharge their duty in this respect.

Expressing its concern at Punjab government’s decision of allowing liquor sale, the committee declared it against Shariah laws and demanded withdrawal of the decision, he said.

Mir said it also declared as against national wishes Asif Zardari’s statements on Kashmir and demanded that the dispute should be settled in the light of UN resolutions.