SHIKARPUR, April 14: The district Shikarpur convention of the Pakistan Muslim League (N), scheduled to be held at the Sabza-i-Zar lawn, here on Sunday, was not allowed by the local administration as it cancelled its permission at the eleventh hour.

The PML (N) leaders, Akram Zaki, Mamnoon Hussain, Saleem Zia and others, have condemned the “step-motherly” attitude of the local administration against their party. They have also opposed the presidential referendum and described it as a fraud with the nation.

Speaking at a public gathering on a city road, the PML (N) leaders said that the patriotic people of Pakistan had rejected the referendum. They threatened to launch a protest movement to foil Gen Musharraf’s plan of referendum.

Adds our Sukkur Correspondent: Leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League (N), Mamoon Hussain, Saleem Zia and Akram Zaki, have said that the PML would join hands with those political parties which believe in democracy and would like a strong prime minister and a parliament.

Talking to Dawn here on Saturday, they said that unless the political forces were united, effective resistance could not be put against President Gen Pervez Musharraf.

They said that democracy was in danger today and expressed fear that general elections would be a farce. They said that Musharraf was holding the referendum because he would never like a strong parliament and a powerful prime minister.

They claimed that the president might hold elections on non-party basis to keep the political parties in isolation and a non political prime minister could be appointed.

They said that 60 women’s seats and 25 technocrats’ seats were insufficient to provide a base to Gen Musharraf so he would like to have presidential form of government in the country. They added that he would like a symbolic prime minister to serve this purpose.

The PML leaders said that first the regime had thought that it would dominate the coming parliament with the seats of women, technocrats and some independents in order to stamp out decisions in its favour but now Musharraf’s advisers had advised him to hold non party elections.

They said President Musharraf had claimed of beginning his political career in the uniform from the Minar-i-Pakistan and this had openly brought the armed forces in politics.

On a question, the PML leaders said that their talks were in progress with the PML(F) and PML(J), and the three factions of the PML would soon hold a meeting with two representatives of each party taking part in the talks.

The president, PML (N), Sukkur, Syed Pir Shah, was also present on the occasion.