HYDERABAD, Feb 19: With neither the ARD nor the MMA having the statutory strength to requisition the National Assembly session on their own, the opposition will have to forge a united front to appear as a force to be reckoned with.

This was stated by Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal MNA Maulana Asadullah Bhutto while speaking to the alliance workers at Markaz Tableegh-i-Islam here on Wednesday.

He said that the MMA was trying to put the country on the path of democracy and sought cooperation of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy in this regard. Maulana Bhutto said that the ARD's solo flight was strengthening President Gen Pervez Musharraf.

He said that bringing the Legal Framework Order issue in the National Assembly and making the president agree to shed his uniform in a year was a success of the MMA.

He said that the countdown had begun and 50 days had passed. Severely criticizing the debriefing of nuclear scientists "at the behest of the US," he said that the rulers had to face embarrassment after denial by Libya, Iran and DPR Korea about the involvement of Pakistani scientists in the proliferation of nuclear technology.

He said that the rulers were trying to hoodwink the people by raising new issues and deplored that Gen Musharraf was issuing provocative statements on the Kalabagh dam which had been rejected by three provincial assemblies.

The Sindh MMA chief also severely criticised the role of Muttahida Qaumi Movement ministers in Sindh and demanded that the number of ministers and advisers in the province should be reduced.

He also demanded that educated youth should be given employment through the Sindh Public Service Commission to check nepotism. He further demanded that the writ of law should be enforced throughout the province.

He said the Sindh chief minister was as helpless before the provincial governor as was the prime minister before the president. He demanded immediate release of Allama Sajid Ali Naqvi.

Speaking on the occasion, MMA MPA Abdul Rehman Rajput made a frontal attack on the MQM and alleged that it was ignoring problems of unemployed youth of Hyderabad and Karachi.

He wondered why the people, who had threatened to quit government if the problems of Shaista Almani were not resolved, were not issuing similar threats for the resolution of "real" problems confronting Sindh. He said if the people wanted to see the real servants of the people, they should visit the NWFP.

Allama Hassan Turabi said that the Shia-Sunni unity had been achieved by founding of the MMA and alleged that intelligence agencies had always tried to create differences among Muslims at the instance of the US. He said that the US was pursuing same policy in Iraq. Abdul Waheed Qureshi, Maulana Taj Mohammad Nahiyoon and others also spoke on the occasion.