HYDERABAD, Jan 25: People’s Party Parliamentarians president Makhdoom Amin Fahim has said that all the political parties must participate in the next elections ‘with or without General Pervez Musharraf in power.’

He said that intelligence agencies were responsible for creating differences among opposition parties on one or the other pretext.

He was responding to queries of journalists at the residence of UC Bhanot Nazim Syed Panah Ali Shah in Matiari district on Thursday night.

He said that the PPP would resist re-election of the president from the present parliament and would take other parties on board in this regard.

He said that all the political parties would have to sit to discuss the issue of recognition of Israel as stated by the president during his visit to Arab states.

He shrugged off reports suggesting differences between Benazir Bhutto and Mian Nawaz Sharif on the issue of holding of multi-party conference (MPC) in London from the ARD platform.

He said that the meeting in which charter of democracy was singed was co-chaired by both the leaders.

“The MPC has been postponed only to finalise its timing and making its agenda more broad-based because the recent debate over the president’s proposed re-election by the existing assemblies has given new dimensions to the political situation”, he argued.

He said that it was desired by everyone that the opposition should be united on minimum possible agenda that included rule of law in the country and supremacy of the constitution.

He said that political parties were free to have their own opinions on different issues.

Replying to a question whether the country was heading towards a presidential form of government, he said that although presidential rule did not exist but only one man was having say in governance affairs and rendering the prime minister powerless.

He said that the present set-up had expertise in rigging the elections in the country and for that reason it was feared that under the present regime fair elections were not possible.

“There should be a neutral caretaker set-up enjoying confidence of all political parties and if it happens then we will fully participate in the polls. In case the polls are not fair, we reserve right to make any decision”, he said.

He said that the Election Commission should be powerful and not ready to receive orders.

When told that Ms Bhutto had admitted her back-channel contacts with the government, he rejected reports of a deal between the PPP and the government and said that back-channel contacts meant informal meetings with some people who were in touch with both the opposition and the government.

He said that these “people” gave different proposals but it was not official dialogue.

He said that the PPP had given a 36-points charter which would be presented to the Election Commission.

He expressed dismay over the volatile situation in North Waziristan and urged the president to review the situation because it concerned survival of the country. He said that similar situation prevailed in Balochistan.

Replying a question regarding the Sindh chief minister’s statement that islands were given to the federal government during late Z. A. Bhutto’s government, he expressed unawareness and said that record would have to be checked.