HYDERABAD, Oct 29: Senator Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro, leader of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl), said on Monday that his party would part ways with the APDM unless Imran Khan and other movement leaders, whom he accused of mudslinging at Maulana Fazlur Rehman, did not tender an apology in public.

Dr Soomro who is also secretary general of the Sindh chapter of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) urged Qazi Hussain Ahmed to step down as alliance head. If he did not resign voluntarily, the six party alliance would hold internal elections for the office of MMA president, he warned.

He said at a news conference at a hotel here that his party was trying to keep MMA intact but Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) was bent on breaking it apart. The leaders of All-Pakistan Democratic Movement (APDM) and JI had launched a mudslinging campaign against the JUI-F chief and if they did not tender an apology in public his party would have nothing to do with the APDM, he said.

He stressed that his party would not work under Qazi Hussain Ahmed. No single party could claim monopoly over the leadership of MMA, he said, adding that Qazi’s politics was harmful for the alliance because politics required acumen.

He claimed that his party was being targeted despite the fact it had rendered maximum sacrifices. Maulana Fazlur Rehman had resigned from the important post of the leader of the opposition, JUI had quit NWFP government and resigned from the Balochistan assembly, he said counting the sacrifices.

The senator claimed that his party was in favour of contesting presidential elections against the dictator and had urged Qazi Hussain Ahmed to oppose Gen Musharraf or allow Maulana Fazlur Rehman to contest presidential elections but he did not agree.

He said that Qazi Hussain Ahmed had indirectly supported Justice (Rtd) Wajihuddin Ahmed and also slammed Justice Ahmed’s statements against Maulana Fazlur Rehman although he never bothered even to meet with MMA leaders for votes.

He welcomed the return of PPP chairperson and said that the NWFP assembly had passed a resolution two years ago inviting Ms Bhutto and Mian Nawaz Sharif to land at Peshawar airport.

Altaf Hussain had his own governor, his own ministers and Gen Pervez Musharraf as the chief patron of his party, he should therefore come back, Mr Soomro suggested. If he did not intend to return then he should stop taking part in the country’s politics, he said.

He advised Benazir Bhutto not to follow in the footsteps of Gen Musharraf in pursuing American agenda as her utterances would ultimately go against her.