SUKKUR, Sept 26: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal will launch a protest campaign if President Pervez Musharraf did not relinquish post of chief of the army staff by Dec 31 and as a prelude , it will launch protests and demonstrations immediately after Ramazan, says Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
He was talking to newsmen here on Sunday evening. Maulana Fazl said that the MMA was ready to negotiate on all but two constitutional amendments and urged the ARD especially the PPPP to refrain from expressing views which might strengthen Pervaiz Musharraf's stand on the uniform issue.
Criticizing rapid changes of prime ministers during the past one year, the MMA leader said that talking about democracy and constitution seemed funny in the wake of these changes. He said that the rulers keep pushing the wheels of democracy back because they wanted to keep the people under the shadow of the sword of Damocles.
He said that it was not only a matter of keeping an agreement on the 17th Amendment intact but it was also a matter of morality and constitution, adding that resisting the people's opinion on the issue of the shedding of uniform was a clear violation of the Constitution.
He said that the alliance would begin a mass contact movement after Ramazan and if the president did not take off his uniform on Dec 31, the MMA would launch an agitation movement.
Maulana Fazl said that if the ARD and the PPPP did not support the MMA, they would in effect strengthen President Musharraf's hands. The alliance, he said, did not expect them (the ARD and the PPPP) to adopt what he termed a wrong attitude.
He said that the Legal Framework Order had lapsed after the passage of the 17th Amendment, and the MMA had supported on the adoption of the Amendment to save the democratic system.
The JUI leader said that he could not comment on the president's UN speech as he had not listened to it, adding that taking the Kashmiris into confidence was vital prior to seeking a solution to the dispute.
He said that the UN resolution on the Kashmir issue was very clear, and Kashmiris would react adversely if any other option was sought, adding that they had rendered too many sacrifices for their freedom.
Earlier, upon his arrival, he was given a warm welcome by JUI workers, including Maulana Mohammad Murad. Khaki dressed JUI workers gave him a salute at airport, from where he was taken to the venue of the public meeting in a motorcade. He also addressed JUI supporters at the Clock Tower, and later addressed at the 'Dastar Bandi' function of the Madressah Hamadia Manzil Gah in Sukkur.