LAHORE, Sept 23: Punjab PPP president and opposition leader in the provincial legislature Qasim Zia says impression that US President Bush has not raised the issue of uniform with Gen Pervez Musharraf is erroneous.

He told reporters here on Thursday that the very fact that the US president had stressed the need for a functional democracy in Pakistan spoke a lot. "Everything has been covered in this single sentence."

Mr Zia said the system in Pakistan was dictatorial, not democratic, and it would be naive to expect democracy as long as a serving general was at the helm. He reiterated that the ARD would not recognize Gen Musharraf as president even if he donned his military dress. He argued that qualifications of a president and the procedure for his election had been provided in the constitution and Gen Musharraf met none of them.

He said the office of the president would be deemed vacant unless a man elected by the parliament and provincial assemblies occupied it. He said the APC to be called by the ARD would decide whether or not to cooperate with the MMA in the struggle for democracy.

About MMA President Qazi Husain Ahmad's meeting with exiled former prime minister Mian Nawaz Sharif, the PPP leader said in politics doors for mutual contacts could not be closed.