ISLAMABAD, April 2: Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, a conglomerate of six religio-political parties, announced on Tuesday that it would boycott the proposed referendum to elect Gen Pervez Musharraf president for a new term and added that the MMA would launch a movement against it.

The decision came at a meeting attended by the heads of the component parties, i.e. Maulana Shah Ahmed Noorani, president of Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan; Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Amir of Jamaat-i-Islami; Maulana Fazlur Rehman, chief of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam; Maulana Samiul Haq of JUI(S), Allama Sajid Mir of Jamiat Ahle Hadith, and Allama Sajid Naqvi of Millat-i-Jafria Pakistan.

Describing the referendum proposal as an unconstitutional exercise, the MMA member parties decided that they would not meet Gen Musharraf unless an invitation was extended to the MMA as an entity.

Maulana Noorani, who presided over the meeting at the residence of the JI chief, told newsmen that he himself, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Maulana Fazlur Rahman and Maulana Samiul Haq had been invited by Gen Musharraf in their individual capacity, but, he added, they would only accept the invitation when it was extended to the MMA.

The MMA unanimously approved its constitution and election manifesto and decided to contest the general elections from a single platform under central and provincial parliamentary boards. A coordination committee headed by Liaquat Baloch was assigned to negotiate with like-minded political parties for reaching seat adjustments at the local level, Maulana Noorani said.

When asked what would be the reaction of the MMA if the government decided to hold party-less polls, Maulana Noorani said: “It will be discussed by the alliance to draw a line of action.”

Explaining religious parties’ point of view on the proposed referendum, Maulana Noorani said the 7th constitutional amendment was brought in by the late Z.A. Bhutto in 1977 in the aftermath of the PNA’s movement. Bhutto, the maulana pointed out, could not use the amendment which was exploited by Gen Zia against the constitutional norms.

Maulana Noorani said the mention of referendum in the Constitution was conditional for seeking public opinion when a problem with no constitutional solution arose but, he pointed out, the procedure for a presidential election was available. If Gen Musharraf is interested in becoming the president, he should resign as army chief, give a gap of two years and then get himself elected from the electoral college, the maulana suggested.

“We reject referendum option and also see attempts at proposing amendments to the Constitution as unconstitutional and violative of the Supreme Court’s guidelines,” the maulana said and added that the alliance would mobilize public opinion against the move through mass rallies.

Meanwhile, the MMA decided to observe Friday as a protest day against Israeli incursions on Palestinian territory and massacre of Muslims.

The heads of the MMA’s component parties will lead a rally in Karachi on Sunday to express solidarity with Palestinians. The MMA demanded immediate withdrawal of US troops from Pakistani airbases.

Maulana Noorani said the country had suffered a $3.5 billion loss in foreign trade and export orders’ cancellations in the aftermath of the Sept 11 attacks but, he added, no windfall benefits as predicted by the military regime poured in for which the national sovereignty was compromised.