LAHORE, May 6: The ongoing talks on the LFO will not succeed if Gen Pervez Musharraf does not agree to give a date for shedding his uniform in the near future, says the Jamaat-i-Islami, one of the six components of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) engaged in parleys with the government on the issue.
Jamaat secretary-general Syed Munawwar Hasan said at a press conference here on Tuesday the general would be given Ramazan 27 (falling probably on Nov 22) as the last date for resigning as the chief of army staff.
“He may resign even earlier like on Aug 14 or Sept 6,” he said, denying the reports that the MMA had shown flexibility on the subject and was ready to give over two years to Gen Musharraf for the purpose.
Demanding the rulers to apologize to the nation for wasting six months for holding talks on the LFO, he said the government had given in on the issue by accepting to present the constitutional amendments before the National Assembly in the form of a bill.
“It is an indication of progress in the talks on the LFO.”
Mr Hasan chided Gen Musharraf for, what he said, his irresponsible statements on the issues of denuclearization and Osama bin Laden.”
“He is a state employee. How can he give statements on policies and that too in an irresponsible manner which is unacceptable to the nation.”
Foreign policy must be discussed and reviewed in parliament, he demanded.
KASHMIR: On Vajpayee offer to Jamali for dialogue on Kashmir, the Jamaat leader said the party believed in solving conflicts through dialogues but warned that New Delhi had a bad track record of backing out of its promises after seeking relief in talks.
Warning Premier Jamali against accepting any solution to the Kashmir issue that could sabotage their (Kashmiris) movement, he demanded the government to make a clear statement that it was not considering any CIA-sponsored proposal on the matter.
“If the establishment or political elements dared to accept a solution other than the right to self-determination of Kashmiris, they would have to face an agitation.”
He also demanded the government lodge a formal protest with the US and Britain for declaring Hizbul Mujahideen and other Jihadi outfits active in Kashmir as terrorists. Just demanding evidence from the two states was amounted to being defensive.
Rejecting the US mediation on the issue, Mr Hasan expressed his reservations over Richard Armitage’s visit to Islamabad at a time when the country was passing through a crucial phase.
