ISLAMABAD, April 23: Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed on Sunday announced that the MMA would stage a ‘long sit-in’ in the federal capital to force ouster of the government which had “brought the country to the verge of collapse”.

“Gen Musharraf has held the 150 million people of Pakistan hostage. His removal by means of force has become due as other ways and fair means won’t work in present circumstances. It has become necessary to stage a long sit-in in Islamabad for at least 4-5 days and show people’s strength,” the MMA leader said at a Jamaat-i-Islami convention.

He alleged that President Pervez Musharraf had made rules and changed the constitution the way he wanted. Expressing doubts that elections won’t be fair under the present set-up, he said ‘some other ways’ had to be used to get rid of the government.

He said the healthcare services, education and daily-use items had gone beyond the reach of common citizen, adding that the government was taking steps only to make the life of ruling class easier and had no interest in solving problems of common citizens.

Qazi Hussain Ahmed said that Jamaat-i-Islami in consultation with its allies had made a strategy to pull the country out of the ‘messy’ situation created by the government.

He criticised Gen Musharraf for his reported plan to bring about changes in curriculum and alleged that the general had been fulfilling an American agenda aimed at secularising the Pakistani society.

“But this won’t be allowed to happen at any cost,” he declared.