KARACHI, April 25: Observing black day against the controversial LFO, the Pakistan People’s Party on Friday accused President Pervez Musharraf of sabotaging the government-opposition dialogue.

Speaking at a protest meeting in Mujahid Colony, the Sindh chief of the PPP, Nisar Khuhro, reaffirmed the resolve to strive for the supremacy of parliament.

The PPP had given a call for observing ‘black day’ throughout the province and had directed party cadres to hoist black flags on building and wear black arms band. In Karachi, a black flag was also hoisted on top of the party’s secretariat behind the Quaid-i-Azam’s mausoleum.

PPP activists chanted slogans of “Go Musharraf, go” and “We will bring back Benazir”.

“Gen Musharraf has sabotaged the negotiations because he has already said no to many things in his much publicized meeting with the newspaper editors and columnists on Thursday,” said Mr Khuhro while speaking at the protest meeting of slogan-chanting party workers.

He said the stand of Gen Musharraf also indicated that the government was not serious in negotiations and had not approached them positively.

Mr Khuhro said that if the President could not give a free hand to a prime minister who regarded him as his “boss”, one could imagine that Mr Jamali was in no position to deliver what the opposition was demanding in a spirit of give and take.

It was in sharp contrast to the open mind with which the combined opposition parties had accepted Mr Jamali’s invitation, he said.

Mr Khuhro said that with the support of the people, his party would compel the men in uniform to respect the collective wisdom of the people and their elected parliament.

He said the rulers had no powers to impose their will on the people and they would not be allowed to misuse their authority.

He recalled the sacrifices of the Bhutto family for empowering the people of Pakistan and giving the country the 1973 constitution. He maintained that the people would again play their role in defending the integrity of the country.

Mr Khuhro said the PPP would continue its struggle inside the elected assemblies and if pushed to the wall, it would mobilise the people for street agitation against the “draconian” laws.

The PPP’s provincial general secretary Rashid Rabbani, district president Aijazuddin Shah, Munawwar Suhrawardy, Samad Gabol, Waqar Mehdi and others reiterated their party’s resolve to strive for the restoration of the 1973 constitution.