PESHAWAR, March 28: The leader of opposition in the National Assembly, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, has accused President Pervez Musharraf of pursuing a policy of suppressing religious parties and promoting Pakistan People’s Party as the only moderate political force in the country in order to please the United States. “A man who propagates enlightened moderation has, in fact, occupied the office of president by force,” he said while addressing a million march rally organised by the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal here on Monday.
In view of Peshawar being the seat of MMA power, the turnout for the march fell short of expectations.
Officials figures, including those provided by the special branch which is under the control of the provincial government, varied between 10,000 and 16,000. Independent estimates put the attendance at around 15,000.
Severely criticizing President Musharraf’s policies, Maulana Fazl said the concept of ‘enlightened-moderation’ was being propagated by a person who was wearing military uniform while occupying the office of president.
“He considers the PPP as the only moderate political force in the country,” the Maulana said as he referred to contacts between the military establishment and the PPP leadership.
The rally was held on the Grand Trunk Road which had been blocked by containers to stop the vehicular traffic.
It may be mentioned that the city district governments, on the directives of Governor Khalilur Rehman, had refused to give permission to the MMA to hold the rally on the G.T. Road, but Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani intervened and overruled the district government’s order.
Chief of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Maulana Samiul Haq himself boycott the rally, but his followers seen in the march.
Referring of the recent visit by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Maulana Fazl said that President Musharraf was trying to weaken the religio-political parties in order to ‘please Washington’ and promote the PPP as a liberal political force.
“The secretary of state has asked Gen Musharraf to eliminate Islamists,” he said.
He declared that the MMA would continue its struggle till the closure of US military bases in the country. He also said that the masses had rejected the policies of so-called of moderation of Gen Musharraf.
He accused the federal government of opposing the MMA-led government in the Frontier province. He also alleged that the centre did not help the provincial government in providing relief to people affected by the recent spells of heavy rain.
“People will foil any attempt aimed at destabilising the MMA government,” the Maulana said.
MMA chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed urged the people to be ready for ‘a final million march on Islamabad’.
“The MMA would not accept a general even as the next president” he said.
He rejected reports about the US giving F-16 aircraft to Pakistan and said that similar promises made in the past had remained unfulfilled.
He criticized the government for keeping Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan in detention and alleged that the US had been given access to the country’s nuclear assets.
Criticising the government’s foreign policy, Qazi Hussain said that Pakistan had lost its close friends in the region. He said that Gen Musharraf had given a green signal to the US to attack Iran by saying that Pakistan would remain neutral if such an attack took place.
He accused Gen Musharraf of promoting immorality and Western culture in the name of liberalism. He rejected the Aga Khan Education Board and said that the poor were being deprived of education.
Allama Sajid Mir and Allama Sajid Ali Naqvi also addressed the rally.
The rally adopted a resolution demanding that Gen Musharraf must quit the offices of the army chief and the president. The rally demanded reduction in the prices of petroleum products and the dismantling of the Aga Khan Education Board.
The rally called for immediate withdrawal of US and other foreign troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.