PESHAWAR, Aug 20: Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rehman said on Monday that the regime of President Gen Pervez Musharraf was at a dead end and it was imperative for the military-backed government and political parties to show moderation and take the country out from the current political crisis.

The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (F) leader said that the Musharraf regime was now left with only a few options, including imposing a sate of emergency, extending the term of the present parliament or declaring martial law to hang on to power.

“I cannot give a definitive opinion as to what Musharraf would do,” he said while answering questions from reporters here. But he did say that the political parties, the military and the government need to show moderation.

He said that Gen Musharraf would have to make an exit from power. He added that the opposition parties had worked out a strategy to mobilise the public to exert pressure on Gen Musharraf to quit power.

Asked whether by moderation he meant “facilitating the transition to a full civilian rule,” a term coined by PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto, the leader of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal said the transition period was long gone when the president had given a cut-off date to take off the uniform. “But he reneged on his words.”

Maulana Fazl said that the MMA had given the All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM) authority to exercise the option of resigning and dissolving the provincial government in Balochistan and the NWFP respectively.

He said that the opposition would continue its struggle till the supremacy of parliament. He alleged that the Musharraf government wanted to turn Pakistan into a secular state and change the education system in line with the American policy.

He claimed that Pakistan’s foreign policy had failed and the country was now facing isolation in the region. He accused the government of backtracking on the Kashmir issue and giving in to Indian demands but supported the improvement of relations between the two countries based on equality.

On the Pakistan-Afghan jirga, the JUI (F) leader said that he and his other party colleagues had been invited to the moot in their personal capacity and, therefore, their decision not to attend was also made in that capacity.

He said that a jirga was always between two parties and it was not clear whether the Pakistan-Afghan jirga was meant for the two countries or it was aimed at resolving an issue in Afghanistan involving the United States and Nato. “The role of the jirga was not clearly outlined,” he said.

The Maulana said the volatile situation in Afghanistan was having an impact on Pakistan’s tribal region and its settled districts. But, he said, the nature of law and order situation was different in different areas of the NWFP and Fata, ranging from sectarianism to a tussle between two schools of thoughts, jihadi culture and the resurgence of the Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat Mohammadi in Swat and Malakand.

He said the MMA was trying to avoid the creation of further tensions vis-à-vis the federal government as it might lead to imposition of martial law in the country.

He accused the government of trying to create a discord in the Wafaqul Madaris to malign all madressahs in the country in the aftermath of the Lal Masjid issue.

He denied any contacts with the government aimed at finding a common ground with the PPP. He claimed that Ms Bhutto had undermined her public standing by initiating a dialogue with President Musharraf.