QUETTA, March 15 All Parties Democratic Movement convenor Mehmood Khan Achakzai has demanded that a multi-party conference be held to steer the country out of the ongoing political crisis.

“The ruling Pakistan People's Party should be invited to the conference in order to evolve a viable strategy to overcome the crisis,” Mr Achakzai told Dawn on Sunday night over telephone from his native town Gulistan.

Mr Achakzai, also the chairman of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, said the struggle for an independent judiciary was not just the lawyers' cause. Rather, the whole nation wanted an independent judiciary.

He said that at a multi-party conference in London all parties except the PPP, MQM and the PML-Q had agreed in principle that the National Security Council and 17th Amendment would be abolished.

But, he said, the PML-N participated in the Feb 18 polls even though the NSC and the amendment had not been done away with.

“The PML-N committed a mistake by taking part in a general election under a military dictator. This is the reason why they are on streets and roads,” said Mr Achakzai.

He urged all parties to join hands to make Pakistan a truly democratic country. “We stand by our demand that the judiciary should be restored to the Nov 2, 2007 position and there should be no compromise over the issue.”—Staff Correspondent