LAHORE, Feb 10: The central executive committee of the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf on Saturday pleaded that the MMA and other opposition parties should quit assemblies any time after July 20 so that the government could not fill the vacancies through by-polls.

“A timeframe for resignations from the national and provincial legislatures has to be so determined as to provide no constitutional room for the regime to hold by-elections”, PTI chairperson Imran Khan said at a news conference during a break in the CEC meeting.

Flanked by Punjab president Ahsan Rashid, Admiral Javed Iqbal (retired), Hamid Khan, Ahmad Awais and Omer Sarfraz Cheema, the PTI chief also proposed to the PML-N to hold its all-party conference by the first week of the next month. “This should be the deadline because delaying a political moot beyond March is not likely to achieve the collective objective of the opposition to launch a movement against the dictatorial regime”, he said and added that the organisations deferring the proposed APC on one pretext or the other were doing no good to the greater democratic and political cause.

The PTI’s highest body also decided that it would participate in the APC because his party was of the firm view that all opposition parties should unite on a one-point programme aimed at the establishment of a genuine democracy, strengthening of state institutions, rule of law, non-party accountability process and setting up of an independent and powerful election commission so that the general elections were transparent, free and impartial. He said his party was trying to turn such a political alliance into a reality.

The party, he said, was already in the process of mass mobilisation through rallies and other means and hoped that a united opposition would soon become a reality.

Imran Khan said his party was not opposed to an electoral alliance or adjustments for seats in assemblies, but it had yet to initiate a dialogue with any organisation. Such a decision would be taken at an appropriate time, he added.

He criticised foreign trips by Gen Pervez Musharraf which, he alleged, were aimed at preparing ground to recognise Israel. He was of the view that the developments taking place during such visits left no doubt that they were conducted as a US emissary. A resolution passed by the meeting condemned the move to recognise Israel and the damage done to Masjidul Aqsa.

Another resolution expressed concern over mounting cost of living, growing unemployment and poverty and said all government claims of progress and development were mere propaganda.

Asked if the general perception about his party having a leaning towards religious parties was correct, he said it was not so. “We have a progressive manifesto and want Pakistan to be a modern Islamic state”. He said he was only in contact with the political organisations which could unite on a one-point agenda.

Soon after the break, the CEC resumed the session. One point of discussion was about the PTI’s political cooperation with the PML-N and the Jamaat-i-Islami for an anti-government movement in the Punjab.