QUETTA, Aug 13: Opposition leader in the National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rehman has alleged that President Musharraf, by calling a meeting of police officers in Islamabad, has not only violated the constitution but also infringed upon provincial autonomy.

Speaking to the Balochistan Bar Association members here on Saturday, he claimed that the ‘dangerous military rule’ was changing parliamentary system into presidential one and that was tantamount to distorting basic structure of the constitution.

He said that police department came under the purview of provincial governments but President Musharraf had called the meeting of the inspector-generals and district police officers in the GHQ, which was a direct interference in provincial affairs.

The NWFP government, he said, had taken up the matter with the federal government.

Criticizing the president, the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal leader said that it was a big tragedy that ‘a government servant’ was the ruler of the country.

He said that key features of 1973 Constitution were Islam, federation, parliamentary system of government, autonomy to federating units, democracy and parliament; and alleged that the army rulers, by capturing power, had undermined the basic principles of the constitution.

The opposition leader alleged: “Military dictators are main hurdle in implementation of Council of Islamic Ideology recommendations to enforce Quran and Sunnah in the country.”

Similarly, he said, parliament had been made subservient to ‘one man rule as President Musharraf takes all decisions’.

He said: “Islam is not controversial among the people but the rulers, who want to retain power, have divided people on sectarian lines by promoting religious extremism and spreading hatred on ethnic basis to uphold the policy of divide and rule’.

Maulana Rehman declared that no compromise would be made on enforcement of Islamic laws, provincial autonomy, parliamentary system, supremacy of parliament and independent judiciary.

On the expulsion of foreign students from madressahs and imposition of ban on the use of loudspeakers in mosques, he reiterated that under no circumstances, they would allow the expulsion and, without any legislation, the ban.

Referring to the Hasba bill, the opposition leader said that the NWFP government would fight a legal battle and they were waiting for the announcement of detailed decision of the Supreme Court thereafter they would consult legal experts to file a reference in the court.