ISLAMABAD, Jan 17: The opposition on Tuesday termed President Gen Pervez Musharraf’s decision to build Bhasha dam first a ‘retreat’ and declared his National Finance Commission (NFC) Award ‘unconstitutional and illegal’.

Opposition leaders from Balochistan refuted Gen Musharraf’s claim that troops were not involved in any operation in the province and claimed that army was in ‘full action’ there.

Reacting to the president’s address to the nation, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal said “Kalabagh dam has proved another Kargil for the general”.

He said Gen Musharraf had admitted that fears of opposition parties that Kalabagh dam could be detrimental to the country’s solidarity were justified.

The MMA leader said the nation was expecting the president, being the army chief, would condemn the US attack in Bajaur Agency, but he kept silent on the issue.

On the Balochistan issue, the MMA leader said Gen Musharraf should tell the nation what issues had been discussed by Pakistan Muslim League leaders Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Mushahid Hussain with Jamhoori Watan Party chief Nawab Akbar Bugti.

“Why is the government not implementing the recommendations of the parliamentary committee on Balochistan?” he asked.

People’s Party Parliamentarians senior vice-president Mir Baz Khetran alleged that armymen were carrying out operations in Balochistan wearing the uniform of Frontier Corps. He said that had the army carried out an operation against those sardars who had set up private jails, people would have welcomed it.

He claimed that the sardars who had arms and ammunition were with the ruling party.

He said the decision to build Bhasha dam instead of Kalabagh dam was a victory of the people and the opposition.

Senator Sanaullah Baloch of the Balochistan National Party said Gen Musharraf had no right to impose the NFC Award on the provinces.

He said it was evident from the tone of Gen Musharraf that he did not represent the federation and he only wanted to impose his personal decisions on the nation.

The senator said that first Gen Musharraf gave arguments like a lawyer and then himself announced the verdict that the operation in Balochistan was justified. He said the president’s comments had “rubbed salt on the wounds of the Baloch people”.

“This is cyber age and everyone knows how the paramilitary forces have besieged the Baloch people,” he said.

He said now there would be stronger protests in Balochistan against the military government’s designs to grab the natural resources of the Baloch people.

PML (Nawaz) information secretary Siddiqul Farooque said: “Gen Musharraf has compromised the country’s sovereignty and damaged national unity and has not fulfilled any commitment made to the nation during his six years and three months long authoritative rule.”

He said that despite his statements about time for difficult decisions, the president had once again proved that he was neither a leader nor a statesman.

Gen Musharraf was an ‘usurper’ and he had no right to take decision on fundamental issues, the PML-N leader said.