PESHAWAR, June 3: The Pakistan Muslim League-Q on Tuesday accused the NWFP coalition government of taking illegal steps to harass the people in the name of the Shariat Bill, calling upon the federal government to impose governor’s rule in the province and hold fresh elections.

Speaking at a press conference here, PML-Q joint secretary Moazzam Butt accused the MMA stalwarts of having “unleashed state-sponsored terrorism” in the NWFP, adding that their policies had brought the province’s economic, cultural and political activities to a standstill.

He accused an MMA MNA of being involved in the destruction of signboards of multinational companies, saying he had no legal authority to do so, adding that the MMA was pursuing Taliban-style policies instead of trying to resolve real issues affecting the people.

Blaming the MMA of resorting to empty slogans, the PML-Q leader said that the alliance was trying to hoodwink the people.

MMA candidates, he said, had made several electoral pledges at the public meeting at the Mohabat Khan Mosque, which they had failed to honour. Mr Butt said that they had promised not use official vehicles, which they were using.

The alliance, he said, had also abolished property tax but did not implement the decision, depriving the people of the benefits of their decision.

Terming the alliance’s slogan of introducing interest-free banking in the province illusory, he said that the passing of the Shariat Bill by the provincial assembly amounted to a non-starter as the same law had been approved by the National Assembly in 1991.

Describing the attitude of the NWFP government viz-a-viz the local governments as being non-democratic, he said the Local Government Ordinance 2001 was being violated with impunity, adding that the NWFP government’s attitude towards women’s issues was also negative.