LAHORE, Jan 31: Exiled former prime minister Nawaz Sharif says formation of a broad-based opposition alliance is the need of the hour and delaying the emergence of such a coalition will be suicidal in view of the grave situation the country is passing through at present.

Talking to Dawn on Wednesday, he said those opposed to such an idea should bear in mind the future designs of Gen Musharraf and then convince others of their point of view, or be convinced.

Mr Sharif, on a private visit to the UAE for the past few days, insisted that free and fair elections were not possible in the presence of Gen Pervez Musharraf and, thus, instead of seeking re-election from the present assemblies, the general should step down.

He alleged that a plan to rig the next elections was being prepared at 50 places near Ojhri Camp in Rawalpindi.

Mr Sharif said Gen Musharraf wanted to retain himself in power for another term because of which he could not afford to hold honest and impartial elections.

Similarly, he said, the general was also virtually the president of the ruling party and, because of his political interests, would take all possible steps, no matter how unfair, to ensure the victory of the people working under his umbrella.

Gen Musharraf, he said, should quit before the opposition parties forced him to leave.

The general should not be part of the interim setup, which would hold the next polls, said Mr Sharif, who was banished to Saudi Arabia in December 2000. He has been living in London for the last one year.

Answering a question, the exiled leader said the multi-party conference he was going to host in the next few weeks was an effort to bring all opposition parties on the same platform. The parties participating in the MPC would come up with a unanimous agenda and a charter of demands, free and fair elections and the restoration of the 1973 Constitution as it stood on the day when his government was overthrown in October 1999 being the most important of all.

When it was pointed out that the PPP, an ally of the PML-N on the ARD’s platform, had said it time and again that it would take part in the elections even in the presence of Gen Musharraf, Mr Sharif said he had seen conflicting reports on the subject. He said even an ordinary man knew how important it was for the general to manipulate the election results.

He said he wanted all opposition parties to formulate a joint strategy to thwart the general’s designs. “This is not my personal agenda. Power is not my destination. I simply want to put the country on democratic track. I want to save the country”.

Mr Sharif argued that an assembly elected for five years could not elect a president for 10 years. The question of electing a new president should be left to the new assemblies, he said while responding to a question.

Replying to another question, he said Gen Musharraf would have to quit under public pressure as dictators in a number of other countries had to.

He said the situation was changing fast and he and Ms Bhutto would be in the country before the next elections. He ruled out any compromise with Gen Musharraf.