PESHAWAR, Aug 20: The Tehrik-i-Istaqlal has urged the government and opposition parties to end political polarisation and jointly chalk out a plan for holding free, fair and transparent general election.

Speaking at a convention of party’s NWFP chapter workers at the press club here on Sunday, TI president Rehmat Khan Wardag said it was the duty of main political parties to end the polarisation and enter a dialogue with President Gen Pervez Musharraf to extricate the country of the present political crisis.

He observed that President General Pervez Musharraf was the architect of the present system and his ouster could plunge the country into another crisis.

In the past, he maintained, Pakistan had embraced tragedies due to the expediency of the political leadership.

He claimed that major political parties, which had roots in the masses, had forced Gen Musharraf to join hands with “apolitical and non-entities” to set up a government. At present, he said, President General Pervez Musharraf was surrounded by opportunists.

He proposed to the military rulers to set up a caretaker government to hold free and transparent general election and facilitate transfer of power to the winning party.

He said his party supported provincial autonomy because it would ensure socio-economic development of the provinces.

He said there was a need to transfer financial and administrative powers to the provinces.

He demanded that the government should construct all main dams, including the Kalabagh dam, in 10 years to overcome shortage of power.

He said construction of highways and dams should be priority of the government.

He urged the government to end the operation in Balochistan and enter into a dialogue with the Baloch political leadership to resolve the crisis.

The convention adopted a number of resolutions demanding an end to the political polarisation, construction of dams and holding of free and transparent elections.