LAHORE, April 5: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (JUP) will soon launch a contact-MPs drive to change their opinion against voting for the National Security Council bill, which it takes as an insult to the National Assembly, democracy and public opinion.

Members of the National Assembly would be apprised of the shortcomings in the establishment of the council in its present composition and its ill-effects on democracy, secretary-general Gen K.M. Azhar told a reception held for party workers here on Sunday evening.

"The parliamentarians who will vote for NSC, will be considered national criminals and enemies of democracy," he said. Gen Azhar alleged Gen Pervez Musharraf had "kidnapped democracy for ransom, and all religio-political parties are struggling to free it from his clutches after paying ransom".

MMA information secretary Pir Ijaz Hashmi denied that the alliance had entered into any agreement with the government for supporting the NSC. Rather the grouping had expelled its inclusion in the Constitution through the LFO, he said.

He said army generals now wanted to conduct night raids on democracy through establishing the forum with a simple majority in the National Assembly. Syed Muzammal Shah announced holding of an international conference on the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) in Multan shortly.

Referring to the allocation of religious affairs portfolio to Ijazul Haq, he said Gen Musharraf wanted to disintegrate religious parties through him. The reception had been arranged by Qari Zawwar Bahadur for the workers who had made the Milad-i-Mustafa Conference in Lahore on March 28 a success.