ISLAMABAD March 1: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) has strongly condemned recent increase in the prices of petroleum products and decided to give a call for country-wide wheel-jam strike on March 10 after consulting other opposition parties.

Speaking at a news conference at parliament house cafeteria on Tuesday, president of the MMA, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, criticised president Musharraf for addressing a public rally in Nowshera cantonment area (which is also his constituency) and said that the act was against the oath he (Musharraf) took as president and as Chief of Army Staff (COAS).

He raised question as to how Nazim Nowshera district Pervez Khattak, whose oath prohibited him from becoming member of any political party, had become provincial president of PPP-Sherpao and in what capacity he organised president's rally.

Flanked by Liaqat Baloch and Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, Mr Ahmed said that the religious alliance was in constant contact with other opposition parties, including the ARD.

The MMA chief demanded that the prime minister should be made head of the NSC and scope of discussion in the NSC should be limited to country's defence. He said law and order, religious schools, educational reforms and like issues should not be discussed in the NSC.

He strongly condemned increase in petroleum products prices and said price of petrol had been increased by more than Rs10 per litre in one year. He said people in general were extremely angry and were demanding of MMA to launch a protest movement.

Qazi alleged that the rulers were consuming national resources and had established a worst type of capitalist system in the country which had no precedence even in the USA and European countries. In this system, he said, the poor and the middle classes were being crushed to extinction.