ISLAMABAD, Dec 31: Former prime minister and chairperson of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Benazir Bhutto says General Pervez Musharraf's alliance with the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) has exposed the general's hidden agenda.

In a statement on Wednesday, she said throughout his unelected rule, General Musharraf demonstrated hostility towards democratic forces and sympathy for the religious parties. This was because the interests of the general and the religious coincided with each other, she emphasized.

She called upon the people of Pakistan to unite at the platform of the ARD and defeat this conspiracy that could throw Pakistan into anarchy and chaos. She said Pakistan's stability was now of international concern and the time had come to put our own house in order.

Ms Bhutto said the nation could only embark on the path of progress and prosperity if democracy was restored through fair, free and impartial elections open to all political parties and all political leaders.

The MMA wanted political advantages through the alliance and Musharraf wanted to build up the MMA to frighten the world opinion, she said and added that Musharraf was insisting that the political choice in Pakistan was only between his military dictatorship and a religious dictatorship.

The former premier said General Musharraf was not interested in a meaningful dialogue with the ARD parties because it had undercut his blackmail of domestic and international public opinion.

She said both the MMA and General Musharraf had united to prevent the return of the exiled ARD leaders for mutual benefit. She said Pervez Musharraf wanted to tell the world that Pakistan's nuclear programme was safe in the hands of the military and, therefore, the military dictatorship under some facade be supported.