LAHORE, Dec 8: The PML-N called upon the MMA on Monday not to sign any deal with what it labelled US-backed rulers as by doing so it would be violating the very commitments it had made to the electorate.

Party’s provincial secretary-general Khwaja Saad Rafiq said at a news conference if the religious alliance gave any concession to Gen Musharraf, it would be bartering away the blood of hundreds of thousands of innocent Afghan people.

“We appeal to the MMA leaders not to be hoodwinked by the military rulers”, Khwaja Saad, a member of the lower house of parliament, said.

Binyamin Rizvi, Zaeem Qadri, Javed Latif and Nasir Iqbal Khan were also present on the occasion.

Khwaja Saad said Gen Musharraf had taken a U-turn about political leaders by visiting the residence of the ruling party chief, Chaudhry Shujaat Husain.

He said the man who had been calling politicians corrupt and democratic system as a sham had to visit the residence of a leader to seek support to save his power. This visit, the PML-N leader said, amounted to recognizing the importance of political parties.

He told a questioner that the ARD would not change its policy about Gen Musharraf even if the ruling party and the MMA reached some agreement on the LFO. Gen Musharraf would be a stranger to the house and would not be allowed to address the elected representatives, he added.

He said the PML-N was continuing its protest against the arrest of its president Javed Hashmi, growing lawlessness and attempts to impose the LFO.

For this purpose, he said, a protest meeting would be held in Gujranwala on Dec 14.

He said the party had also prepared programmes for Dec 16, the day on which the greatest Islamic republic had dismembered, and Dec 25, the Quaid-i-Azam Day and the birthday of Mian Nawaz Sharif.

Binyamin Rizvi said if the MMA struck any deal with the government, the PML-N would honour the religious alliance’s commitments with the rightist voter.

Javed Latif hoped that the MMA would not betray its voters.

Zaeem Qadri said his party would protect the Islamic values of the country.