WASHINGTON, June 28: If democracy is not restored, the country may face another East Pakistan-like tragedy in Balochistan, a senior PML-N leader said on Thursday. Ahsan Iqbal, who heads the party’s information wing, told a gathering of Washington PML-N that the situation had reached a point where continuation of the military government would harm the country as well as the armed forces.

“We appeal to our rulers not to take the country to another tragedy, like in 1971, and let democratic forces play their role in the healing process in Balochistan,” he said.

Mr Iqbal recalled that in a recent interview Gen Pervez Musharraf had acknowledged that his seven-year rule had weakened the federation.

“I wonder how does then he justify staying in power,” he asked. “Nothing is more important than the integrity of the federation.”

Mr Iqbal claimed that despite former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s reluctance to attend a gathering of opposition parties in London next month, political forces were united in demanding full restoration of democracy.

He also urged US policy-makers to realise that the Musharraf government had lost all legitimacy and stop supporting the regime.

“Continued support for the Musharraf government,” he said, “would also hurt the US-led war on terror.”

Mr Iqbal said that Gen Musharraf’s re-election by the current assembly is a near impossibility.

Even if he manages to get elected, it will be an international embarrassment, not to mention the reaction inside the country, he added.