LAHORE, May 19: An All Parties Conference on Sunday warned India to desist from committing any aggression against Pakistan as the democratic and patriotic forces were united like a rock to defend their country.

Leaders of over two dozen political and religious parties and some professional organizations said that in the interest of peace and stability of South Asia and to safeguard the future of the people of entire region, India should adopt the course of negotiations to settle all disputes with Pakistan on the basis of the principles of international law and the charter of the United Nations.

The APC, however, did not soften its resolve to pull down the military regime through a sustained struggle despite a tense situation on borders.

Through a resolution and a joint declaration adopted at the APC, fifth since the military takeover in October 1999, the participants said that the nation had completely rejected the stage-managed April 30 presidential referendum after which Gen Pervez Musharaf should immediately resign from all his “de facto” positions and hand over power to a neutral caretaker government which should unite the nation, face challenge posed by India and hold fair and free elections.

They called for the appointment of a full-time Chief of the Army Staff who could devote his attention to the country’s defence and meet the threat to national security and territorial integrity.

ARD President Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan presided over the conference held at the Lahore Press Club. Parties in the ARD and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Aml were the major participants. Leaders of all the parties expressed their views before the finalization of the resolution and the declaration.

The ARD chief sidelined as hypothetical a question whether the APC leaders would participate in an APC the government is expected to hold in Islamabad on May 27 in view of the situation on the border. Same was his response when questioned if opposition parties would be prepared to hold talks with the government.

So far, the Nawabzada complained, Gen Musharraf had been taking all important decisions on his own and he had been inviting political leaders subsequently only to inform them.

When a reporter asked if demand for Gen Musharraf’s resignation at such a critical juncture would not endanger the country’s defence, the senior leader answered in the negative. There could be nothing better in the national interest, he argued. He said nobody was indispensable for the country and even Chamberlain had been replaced with Churchill right when the war was going on.

Maintaining that the threat of war loomed large and the country needed complete unity and a strong leadership, a resolution adopted by the APC said that having been rejected in the referendum by the people of Pakistan as well as the national and international intelligentsia, Gen Musharraf “stands discredited and lacks the stature and moral authority to deal with the current threat to national security and territorial integrity of Pakistan”.

It said while India was poised to wage war on the eastern front of Pakistan, Gen Musharraf was using Pakistani troops to seal the western border with Afghanistan and conduct operations in tribal areas.

The resolution said that the Chief Election Commissioner, his colleagues who betrayed the nation, by becoming a party to the rigging of the referendum, must be removed and an independent and impartial new Election Commission should be appointed consisting of men of proven integrity.

It may be pointed out that the PPP was the only party which had welcomed the appointment of Justice (retd) Irshad Hasan as the CEC on the grounds that he had brought with him a treasure of experience.

The resolution sought an end to the ban on political activities. All political parties have the right to choose their own leadership and no party should be deprived of its leaders.

“All leaders should be allowed to freely take part in political activities to galvanize the nation to face the Indian challenge because wars cannot be fought unless the nation backs its armed forces”, the resolution said in a clear reference to former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Mian Nawaz Sharif.

Appreciating the people for boycotting the presidential referendum, the APC also praised the Commonwealth, the European Union and the USA for not supporting the farcical exercise.

A truth commission will be set up to look into the instances of misuse of public funds by the local government functionaries to ensure the success of Gen Musharraf in the referendum.

The APC called upon the people of federating units from all walks of life to join hands for the revival of their sovereign will and the right to freely choose their elected representatives, restoration of human and social rights and jointly face the threats from internal and external dangers to people’s life and national existence either by terrorism or foreign subjugation.

It demanded a clear election schedule, immediate revival of all political activities and human rights, level playing field for all political parties and their respective leaders, holding of free and fair elections under a neutral, autonomous, credible and powerful Election Commission formed with the approval of all political parties in place of the incumbents who must immediately resign for having violated their oath by “becoming an instrument of a rigged referendum”.

The APC rejected any arbitrary changes in the 1973 Constitution, mutilation of international democratic standards of elections, distortion of electoral laws, prohibitive changes in the Political Parties Act and restrictions on the parties and their leaders.

“We expect from the international community, the international human rights bodies and the UN agencies to uphold the aspirations of the people of Pakistan for the restoration of democracy, fundamental human rights, the constitutional order through free and fair elections and transfer of power to the genuinely elected representatives of the people, who alone can ensure Pakistan’s credible participation in international affairs as a responsible and civilized nation,” the APC declaration said.

The participants expressed solidarity with the freedom movement in Kashmir and the struggle of the Palestinian people for their rights.

They also supported the demand for the implementation of the Wage Board Award for the newspapers employees.