The conference, attended by the senior leaders of all opposition parties, gave a call for a country-wide strike on Sept 9 as the first step towards its campaign and appealed for public support to steer the country out of military dictatorship, price hikes, unemployment and lawlessness.
A 12-member steering committee comprising members from both major opposition alliances, the ARD and the MMA, was set up to map out a strategy on the options available to opposition parties.
Speaking on the occasion, Qazi Hussain Ahmed said that the combined opposition would struggle against the government both inside and outside parliament and would also consider the option of resigning from parliamentary offices.
He said a step-by-step programme would be prepared and the steering committee would immediately start its work on all the options.
The NLC adopted a joint communiqué which reads as under: “The country already faced with serious constitutional, democratic, political and moral crisis was posed with an even more serious situation by the recently held, massively rigged and fraudulent local government polls.
“After these polls, a reality has clearly come to the fore that there was no possibility of just, free and impartial elections under General Musharraf’s dictatorship.
“It has become imperative under these circumstances that all patriotic, democratic and Islamic forces join hands by keeping national interest above their political differences to rid Pakistan of military dictatorship and put it on the track of constitutional rule as it stood on October 12, 1999, so that the country can become a truly democratic, welfare and Islamic state. And for this purpose they agree to prepare an affective strategy and a joint programme to launch a result-oriented struggle.
“For this purpose this gathering of patriotic, democratic, Islamic leaders, intellectuals, rtd.judges, lawyers, journalists, ulema and retired civil and military personalities announce a practical struggle for putting the country on democratic tracks in accordance with 1973 Constitution by ridding it of military dictatorship.
“It demands, 1. That General Musharraf who has usurpingly occupied the offices of COAS and president should step down along with his entire team and these offices be filled in accordance with the constitutional provision. In case General Musharraf refuses to resign, a country-wide movement be launched against him but in its result, no other adventurer general will be accepted or allowed to impose himself on the country.
2. 1973 Constitution be restored as it stood on October 12, 1999.
3. An independent and autonomous Election Commission be set up in consultation with the opposition parties.
“This national conference pledges before Allah Almighty and the people of Pakistan that an Islamic, federal, democratic and welfare system will be established, sovereignty of parliament and judiciary will be restored, provinces will be satisfied by affording them provincial rights, the fundamental rights will be safeguarded as laid down in the constitution.
“The rights of minorities and women will be guaranteed, effort to remove poverty will be geared up, the people’s basic needs (like food, clothes, medial cure, education and house) will be provided by state; economic justice and equitable distribution of wealth will be ensured. Besides, we also pledge that in future we will not accept or bear military rule.”
The conference also adopted a resolution condemning what it termed as “a U-turn by the dictator on foreign policy on the most important issues of Kashmir and Palestine” against the consensus national stand and the Quaid-i-Azam’s sayings.
The conference also condemned frequent increases in petroleum prices which was making the life of the common man miserable as prices of essential items were sky-rocketing. It also expressed support for the rights of farmers, labourers and students and demanded restoration of their rights.
The meeting demanded that the government resolve the problem of seminary registration through negotiations instead of imposing dictatorial decision under American pressure.
It also called for the immediate release of PML-N acting president Javed Hashmi and PPP Parliamentarians Yusuf Raza Gilani.
The meeting condemned the illegal hurdles created in the way of Benazir Bhutto’s and Nawaz Sharif’s return.
The conference chaired by MMA president Qazi Hussain Ahmed and attended among others by Makhdoom Amin Fahim chairman PPP Parliamentarians, Raja Zafarul Haq chairman PML(N), Iqbal Zafar Jhagra secretary general ARD, Prof Sajid Mir Jamiat Ahle Hadith, Ghulam Ahmed Bilour of the Awami National Party, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed of JUI-F, Mehmud Khan Achakzai (Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party), Imran Khan (PTI),General Mirza Aslam Baig, Gen Hameed Gul, Gen Faiz Ali Chishti, Dr Abul Khair Muhammad Zubair (JUI-P) and a large number of other party leaders.
Almost all the senior political leaders, intellectuals, retired generals and religious leaders spoke on the occasion and every one forwarded proposals to end the dictatorial system.
The twelve-member steering committee set up by the conference includes the names of Raja Parvaiz Ashraf, Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Nawabzada Mansoor Ali Khan and Syed Manzoor Gilani (ARD), Liaquat Baloch, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, Allama Sajid Ali Naqvi, Sahibzada Abul Khair Muhammad Zubair and Maulana Abdul Jalil Naqvi (MMA), Imran Khan (PTI),Syed Fakhr Imam, Begum Abida Hussain, Admiral Iftikhar Sarohi, Roedad Khan, Gen Hameed Gul, Hafiz Abdur Rahman Makki and Gen Faiz Ali Chishti.