LAHORE, Oct 13: Pakistan Muslim League acting president Makhdoom Javed Hashmi on Saturday demanded the restoration of parliament dissolved in October 1999 and the formation of a national government to formulate policy to deal with the situation created as a result of the US military strikes on Afghanistan.

Addressing a news conference here, he said the parties which did not have representation in parliament should be allowed to reach the legislature by participating in elections to vacant seats. He said the entire process could be completed within a fortnight.

This, he argued, was the best way to have representation of all parties in the parliament and provide a capable leadership for the country.

He said a war cabinet should also be formed as the current challenge was beyond the present military leadership.

Mr Hashmi expressed support for the Monday (Oct 15) strike call given by religious parties and said he was issuing instructions to his party leaders and workers to make the strike a success.

He said the parliament still had the time to go till March next year to complete its constitutional term and while the Supreme Court had validated the dismissal of assemblies and the PML government, it had not prevented the present rulers from restoring it.

The duty of the army, Mr Hashmi said, was to defend the country and not rule it.

Warning that the war going on in Afghanistan would have a fallout in Pakistan, the PML leader said if adequate precaution was not taken the fire now consuming Afghanistan could soon reach Pakistan.

He said the present government’s support for killings in Afghanistan had created an impression across the world that the policy enjoyed the backing of the entire nation. He said he would like to clarify that the military government represented none but itself and the people of Pakistan did not support the policy.

Asked if a PML government would have defied the UNSC resolutions on Afghanistan, Mr Hashmi said regrettably the Musharraf government had pledged support to the United States before the world body adopted a resolution. Also, he said, the government had not waited for the APC decisions and had acted on its own.

Had the PML been in power, he said, it would have set up a war cabinet in the situation.

The PML provincial secretary-general, Khwaja Saad Rafiq, said had it been in power, the PML would have handled the situation more prudently and courageously.