PESHAWAR, June 23: The People’s Party Parliamentarians on Monday claimed that the passage of the Shariat Bill by the NWFP Assembly was an MMA-Musharraf “joint venture” to exploit the US administration aimed at gaining more concessions.

Talking to newsmen in the assembly building on Monday, PPP’s Abdul Akbar Khan said the passage of the Shariat Bill and tearing down of signboards were done to create an impression in the US and Europe that Gen Musharraf’s stay in power was essential to check Talibanization.

Mr Akbar said the federal government had neither objected to the introduction of the Shariat Bill in the assembly nor had it told its two allies, PML-Q and PPP-S, to oppose it. After the passage of the Bill, he pointed out, the governor gave his assent to it, though being the representative of the Centre, the governor could have delayed it, the PPP leader observed.

He said if President Musharraf had any objection to the Bill, he could have advised the governor not to give his assent to it and send it back to the NWFP assembly for reconsideration, but the Bill got through smoothly which smacked of discreet cooperation between the MMA and the president. It may be recalled that Mr Akbar had supported the Shariat Bill in the assembly.

He said the smashing of signboards was stage-managed to convince the US administration that the fundamentalist forces could only be checked by a president in uniform.

He said the day (Tuesday) President Musharraf was to meet US President George Bush, the MMA had organized a Shariat rally in Peshawar to demonstrate its conservatism. NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani would lead the rally to facilitate Mr Musharraf at Camp David, he added.