LAHORE, July 28: The Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf has opposed the Hasba Bill recently got passed by the MMA government from the NWFP Assembly. PTI chairman Imran Khan said at a press conference here on Thursday they could not support the bill because it aimed at weakening institutions. The PTI is an ally of the MMA in the opposition of Gen Musharraf and the ruling PML.

He alleged that the government itself was defaming Pakistan at the international level by declaring religious institutions base camps of suicide bombers and launching operation against religious scholars and students.

He said the arrest of 700 people by law-enforcement agencies after London blasts gave the message to the world that terrorists freely moved here and had a link with terrorist acts worldwide.

Even in London the local media and people were linking the blasts with Iraq policy, but Islamabad was posing Pakistanis as terrorists, he lamented.

About the upcoming local elections, Mr Khan alleged that the government was deceiving the nation in the name of non-party polls.

All federal and provincial ministers were actively launching election campaign of the PML-backed candidates.

In Mianwali, he alleged, federal minister Dr Sher Afghan was utilizing all state resources for the elections campaign of the ruling party’s nominees. His party, however, would not boycott the polls process.

He said he was trying to develop a consensus among all opposition parties to boycott the next general election if an independent election commission was not set up.

He said PTI activists were taking part in the local government polls on seat-to-seat adjustment formula with other opposition parties and groups. In Lahore, about 70 PTI candidates had submitted their nominations for union council nazims’ slots. However, the final list of the candidates would be announced next week, he said.