LAHORE, Aug 3: The JUP-Nifaz-i-Shariat has criticized the MMA for accepting Gen Pervez Musharraf as a ‘president-in-uniform’ up to Oct 2004, and termed the act a stab in the back of democracy.

Speaking at a press conference here on Sunday, party president Engineer Saleemullah Khan regretted that the MMA had abandoned the ARD to hold talks with the government on the LFO and uniform.

He said the ARD had proved itself a pro-democracy alliance by refusing to hold talks with the PML-Q which, he said, was all about landlords and Chaudhrys.

Mr Khan said the MMA should have held Maulana Fazlur Rahman accountable for his offers to Indian prime minister Vajpayee against the two-nation theory and the Line of Control in Kashmir.

He warned the MMA that Gen Musharraf could back out of his promises whenever it suited him, and the religious alliance would not be in a position to force him to comply with the agreement.

The general could dissolve the NWFP and Balochistan governments and unseat MMA legislators on Sanad plea, he warned.

He termed the recent government-MMA dialogue a successful attempt of Gen Musharraf at dividing the opposition and sabotaging the Aug 14 public meeting.