LAHORE, Dec 5: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Aml would help “legitimize the unconstitutional steps” of President Gen Pervez Musharraf if he accepts “constitutional demands” of the religious parties’ alliance and announce a date for taking off his military uniform, MMA Vice President Qazi Hussain Ahmed said here on Thursday.

Talking to a group of reporters at his Mansoora office, Qazi regretted that so far there was no flexibility in Gen Musharraf’s stand on the issue which, he pointed out, was a major obstacle to further talks between the MMA and the PML-Q.

Qazi said under the constitution Gen Musharraf could not become president and he was continuing as the Chief of the Army Staff only because he had given himself an indefinite extension. He asserted that the MMA was adopting a flexible approach on the twin issues to enable the democratic system, restored after a period of three years, to work.

Holding that the MMA differed with the policies of Gen Musharraf, Qazi said the alliance was accepting him as president under duress.

Once the General takes off his uniform, he said, the MMA, in cooperation with the PML-Q, would elect him as the “constitutional president” of the country. In case the General failed to reciprocate this “generous offer,” the MMA leader said, it would simply mean that President Musharraf had no interest in the working of the democratic system.

When asked what would be the religious parties’ future course of action if Gen Musharraf did not take off his uniform, Qazi said in such an eventuality the MMA would raise the matter in parliament as well as all public fora.

He claimed that religious parties were determined to safeguard the democratic system at all costs. He, however, said that the present system was not entirely democratic. He said the Legal Framework Order and the National Security Council were “stigmas” which had “defaced” the whole system.

When asked if the Jamaat-i-Islami could tolerate a uniformed Gen Ziaul Haq as president in 1985 why it was unwilling to co-exist with Gen Musharraf following in the same principle, Qazi claimed that he had opposed the dual role for Gen Zia as well. He said he had not signed the Eighth constitutional amendment as it was in conflict with the voice of his conscience.

He said Gen Musharraf had already completed the three-year term sanctioned by the Supreme Court and now he was under obligation to restore the “genuine democratic system.”

He was optimistic that the MMA would succeed in upholding the supremacy of parliament and moulding Gen Musharraf’s thinking according to requirements of the democratic system.

Replying to a question, the MMA leader said religious parties had no option but to hold talks with PML-Q because the composition of the new assemblies had made it necessary. He said in the NWFP the MMA had formed its government while in Balochistan the two parties had set up a coalition.