ISLAMABAD, Feb 28: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman has demanded immediate resignation of President Pervez Musharraf to allow the new coalition government to work smoothly for the wellbeing of the nation.

Talking to reporters here on Thursday after a two-day meeting of his party’s central executive committee, the Maulana said that the people had rejected the policies of President Musharraf by voting out his loyalists in the PML-Q and allied parties.

He said the JUI-F was willing to support the coalition government if its demands were accepted ‘sincerely’.

Spelling out his party’s conditions for supporting the government, he said provinces should be given more autonomy and the military operations in Balochistan and tribal areas should be ended.

He said that new administration must not compromise on the safety of the nuclear assets and must not allow any international agency access to Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan.

He said legislations should be made strictly in line with recommendations of the Islamic Ideology Council. The judiciary should be independent and detained judges, lawyers and political activist should be released.

He said the JUI-F had formed a seven-member committee to negotiate for cooperation with the coming government. The party’s secretary-general Abdul Ghafoor Haideri heads the committee.

In reply to a question, Maulana Fazl said his party would go along with whatever course the next government took about reinstatement of deposed judges.

He claimed that the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal was intact under the leadership of Qazi Hussain Ahmed but the JI chief had nothing to do with parliamentary affairs as he had boycotted the election.

He demanded reconstruction of Jamia Hafsa at its original place.

He said the party had expelled dissidents who had either refused to contest election or contested against its nominees.

He called for protests on Friday against publication of blasphemous caricatures in Danish newspapers. He asked the government to declare Denmark’s ambassador persona non grata.

The meeting decided that Maulana Fazl would be the party’s parliamentary leader in the National Assembly. Akram Khan Durrani and Abdul Wasay will lead the party’s parliamentary groups in the NWFP and Balochistan assemblies, respectively.