KARACHI, Sept 22: Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim on Wednesday welcomed the Sindh Assembly resolution in support of President Musharraf's holding the offices of President and army chief simultaneously , saying that it was in line with strengthening democratic dispensation.

He was speaking at a news conference in his assembly chamber after the day's deliberation. He warned the opposition, which has threatened to launch a protest campaign, that their agitation would pave the way for another martial law.

"Masses are least interested in the issue of President's uniform... they just want their own problems solved," Dr Arbab claimed. He reiterated the government's stand that Gen Musharraf had provided economic and political stability to the country, especially in a difficult situation emerging after the 9/11 incident. At this stage, he recalled, Pakistan needed a strong leadership.

The chief minister pointed out that because of Gen Musharraf's policies, Pakistan was being recognized in the West as a strong country now. Rejecting the opposition's stand on the uniform issue, he contended that general elections in the country, in which the opposition did take part, had been held under the uniformed president.

"Opposition leaders have always supported military rule in the country," he claimed, adding that the opposition leaders who had sought refuge in other countries were trying to destabilize the country so that they could not be questioned for their misdeeds.

Dr Rahim recalled that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had imposed emergency through 4th amendment and got the opposition leaders, including Mufti Mahmood, out of the National Assembly. He said that the armed forces had always played a role in politics, overtly or covertly, and those who denied it were telling lies.

He said the Ms Benazir Bhutto had been accusing Ghulam Ishaq Khan of his involvement in the murder of her father, but she formed her government while Mr Khan was President. She had also decorated Gen Aslam Beg for his services to democracy, he further recalled.

Meanwhile, senior minister Syed Sardar Ahmad said on Wednesday contended that it was essential for President Musharraf to retain his military post to maintain necessary strength in advocating Pakistan's stand on vital issues, including Kashmir.

He was speaking at a news conference in his assembly chambers after the day's proceedings during which a resolution extending the assembly's support to Gen Musharraf on holding the offices of President and army chief was passed.

The provincial minister pointed out that the National Assembly, through a resolution adopted with a simple majority, had allowed President Musharraf to decide about retaining one of the two posts by Dec 31. He argued that if his act of keeping the two posts was not correct, then why was he allowed to continue with both the post till that particular date.

"It was done because the opposition parties thought it necessary to enable him to complete his agenda," he claimed, adding that another resolution could also be moved in the National Assembly.

Another Minister Shoaib Bukhari criticized PPP-P's stand on the issue, recalling that it was the same party that had brought in a serving general, Naseerullah Khan Babar, as governor of the NWFP.