KARACHI, Sept 23: The Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD), Sindh chapter, which took stock of the prevailing political situation in the country, has proposed to hold a public meeting at Nishtar Park on Oct 19.

However, the proposed date for stepping up pressure on Gen Musharraf through public mobilization was subject to approval by the alliance’s central leadership in its meeting scheduled for Sept 25, said the sources here on Tuesday.

The alliance meeting, presided over by Zain Ansari at the residence of the Sindh ARD general secretary Nisar Khuhro on Tuesday, endorsed the central leadership stand on Legal Framework Order (LFO) and voiced concern over the regime’s adamancy over Greater Thal Canal and Kalabagh Dam, which had already been opposed by Sindh and other provinces.

The meeting noted the hardline taken by Gen Musharraf during his address in the United States on LFO, his uniform and other contentious issues, and maintained that it clearly showed that he had no respect for the will of people and was just misleading the world by maintaining the facade of negotiations at home.

It was noted that Gen Musharraf was not obliging political parties on giving up his COAS post and the discretionary powers, which he had assumed for himself under 58(2)b despite the fact that MMA had shown flexibility in this respect.

The general consensus was that the government had engaged the opposition, particularly the MMA in talks to gain time and were in fact a trap aimed at creating “conducive” environment for Gen Musharraf to show to the world that he was a democrat as he had been calling the shots in Pakistan.

The participants were of the view that the deadlock was dangerous as well as deliberate because the establishment wanted to prolong the status quo and in the meantime try to break as many opposition members as possible.

The meeting rejected the LFO as it would alter the Constitution of 1973 and maintained that an individual had no right to amend the Constitution. It was stated in the meeting that the parliament had no right to accept any constitutional role for the military in politics. Even the opposition parties had no right to concede on 58(2)b or condone the military interventions, the party members remarked.

On Greater Thal Canal and Kalabagh projects, the party members said that these were being used to divert public attention from the basic issues confronting them.

The meeting accused Gen Musharraf of negating his own seven-point agenda by increasing inter-provincial disharmony caused by the Thal and Kalabagh projects.

The meeting also reviewed the likely scenario after Gen Musharraf drum up his own ruling and opposition parties through unification of splinter groups to keep the elements having roots among the masses, out of the next parliament.

The participants of the meeting expressed concern over the Makarwal accident and held government responsible for it, because no precautionary measures had been taken even after the accident for public safety.

Among others, the meeting was attended by Mamnoon Hussain, Imdad Chandio, Rashid Rabbani, Mufti Firozuddin Hazarvi, Khan Amanullah Khan, Zahid Rafiq Butt, Haji Muzaffar Shujra, Azhar Abbas Zaidi and Khwaja Mohammad Awan.