KARACHI, April 26: The Pakistan People’s Party on Wednesday vowed to force Gen Pervez Musharraf’s government to pack up, and maintained that time had come for all anti-Musharraf forces to unite like the people of Nepal.

This was spelt out by Secretary General of the PPP, Sindh, Nafees Siddiqui at a news conference he held after his return from London where he had gone in connection with the recent meeting between top PPP and PML-N leaders on the future modus operandi for the restoration of democracy.

Referring to the Maoist uprising against the king in Nepal, Mr Siddiqui said: “We will not demand, but force Musharraf regime to make way for peoples’ power.” He made it clear that the PPP did not expect elections to be free, fair and transparent under the present regime, and in this context, cited many incidents in the past elections, including that of the prime minister himself.

Therefore, election should be conducted under a neutral caretaker government and an election commission to be set up on the pattern of those in India and Bangladesh, he added.

Describing the Benazir-Nawaz meeting as a ‘turning point’, he said the charter of democracy would be the Magna Carta for a democratic dispensation in the country.

“The charter of democracy is not intended to come in power, but to transform the civil society in Pakistan in such a way that people were the real beneficiaries of change and no one can in future scuttle the process of civilian rule.”

He was of the view that the impact of the charter of democracy would be felt in due course of time, and one should not expect instant result. That’s why, he emphasized, it would be the Magna Carta of Democracy in Pakistan.

Mr Siddiqui said that the charter of democracy would be singed on May 14 when the two former premiers would meet.

“This charter is a complete dispensation of democracy encompassing all fundamental things, economic betterment, judicial system, wellbeing of the downtrodden, provincial autonomy, etc,” he added.

The PPP leader said that a code of conduct would also be singed on the occasion and both the major political parties would decide that the party which got a majority in the general elections, would rule the country and army would not be allowed to interfere in the government’s affairs at any cost.

Mr Siddiqui said that the ARD component parties would be taken into confidence about the London meeting, and ARD President Makhdoom Amin Fahim would brief their leaders at a meeting on April 30 in Lahore.

He said that there would be a clear line between the ‘Musharraf alliance’ and the ‘democratic, religious and national forces alliance’.

The PPP leader said that the country was passing through a critical juncture as neither the government nor the parliament was functioning properly. Despite induction of an army of ministers, the ruling PML has miserably failed to deliver.