PESHAWAR, Jan 21: The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy said on Saturday that the “incumbent unconstitutional and unlawful ruler” has put the country’s sovereignty at stake and also turned the country into an “American colony”.

In a statement issued here, ARD Secretary-General Zafar Iqbal Jhagra said from Wana to Kohlu, Pakistanis were being bombed on the orders of the rulers.

He said it was time for political parties to unite on a single platform to launch a struggle for restoration of civilian rule and independence and sovereignty of the country.

He said the situation had had become far worse than the political crisis of 1971 that ended with the dismemberment of the country.

A sense of deprivation had taken over the people of smaller provinces as the rulers were using guns to solve every dispute, he said.

He said the parliament had been turned into a rubber stamp as one person was making decisions about vital issues.

The genuine political leadership, Mr Jhagra said, had been forced to leave the country and live abroad.

He said the Musharraf government had given the country all sorts of political ills — including slavery, alienation, powerlessness, unemployment and growing lawlessness — over the past six years.

The number of people living below the poverty line had increased during the military rule, the ARD leader claimed.

He said Gen Pervez Musharraf’s insistence had made the Kalabagh dam issue controversial to the extent that even popular leadership would be unable to build it.

The ARD leader said the dictator had taken a U-turn on the issue to the benefit of the nationalists who would thrive on it.