Govt can’t survive sit-in: Qazi

Published June 17, 2003

LAHORE, June 16: MMA vice-president Qazi Husain Ahmed says the government can’t survive a sit-in in Islamabad by the religious parties alliance, but the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal will discuss all possible implications of such a step before deciding to implement it.

Talking to reporters at Mansoora on Monday, he said the Jamaat-i-Islami had successfully ousted the PPP and the PML-N governments through sit-ins and the result would not be any different if the same methodology was used now.

He said the MMA was a well-organized force whose leaders had unanimity on all important issues.

The Qazi said the MMA wanted to strengthen the democratic system and thus would not like to take any step which could adversely hit it. He said time had come for a decisive battle to save the political system from any future intrigues.

In his opinion Gen Pervez Musharraf could not afford to dissolve the assemblies by using his discretionary powers as the likely consequences of such an extreme step would not go in his favour.

He said there was little possibility of his taking such an action against the NWFP government.

At present, he said, the PML-Q, the National Alliance and the PPP-Patriots were with him. But, they would dissociate themselves from the general once he took such a drastic action.

In his opinion, Gen Musharraf had fewer options in the present situation and he could not afford to annoy the people supporting him at present.

In response to a question, he said the failure of the present system would be taken as failure of Gen Musharraf, not the political parties.

He said the general was the architect of the present system and in case it did not work, the discredit would go to him.