ISLAMABAD: Leaders of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (F) and Pakistan Muslim League (likeminded) have called for early general election to steer the country out of the current political crisis.
Talking to reporters at the National Press Club here on Wednesday, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said it would be better if politicians sit together and agree on a date for election, instead of inviting a 'third force' to strangulate democracy.
He said political leaders should agree on removing 37.5 million fake voters from electoral rolls, create space for implementation of the Supreme Court order in consultation with Nadra, strive to make the Election Commission an independent body to avert chances of rigging and insist on formation of an interim government for holding free and fair elections.
Answering a question, he said serious efforts were being made to revive the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal before the next election. He said talks were being held among member parties and expressed the hope that these would be successful.
Asked if he was on a mission to persuade President Asif Ali Zardari to resign, the Maulana said he had only suggested a way out of the quagmire, adding that he had neither been assigned the task nor was he ready to perform it.
He said he had supported the government's initiative to grant the most favoured nation status to India, adding that promotion of trade would not affect the Kashmir cause.
The JUI-F chief said his party had given priority to law and order and revival of economy whenever it came to power. He denied allegations that the MMA government was corrupt and said the present government had been rated as the most corrupt.
Also on Wednesday, PML (likeminded) leaders Hamid Nasir Chattha, Salim Saifullah Khan, Humayun Akhtar and Kashmala Tariq called for announcement of a date for elections and setting up of an interim government.
They accused the government of creating an atmosphere of confrontation among insti-tutions and not implementing Supreme Court's orders. They said free and fair elections would pave way for regime change.
Mr Chattha said the updating of electoral rolls should not impede the announcement of elections because it would take at least three months to complete the process.
Meanwhile, PMLQ chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain called for giving serious thought to the prevailing tension with the spirit of understanding and by taking steps to defuse it.
Talking to reporters, he said Pakistan was facing serious internal and external threats and the national leadership should avoid confrontations to save the democratic order.
"The leadership should keep in mind that no institutions, the judiciary, army or the executive, can afford extreme actions," he added.
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