PESHAWAR, Aug 1: Institutionalization of armed forces in the form of NSC as political force will lead to a disaster,” said Abid Hassan Minto, Central President of the National Workers Party and former President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, while speaking at a Press conference here on Thursday.

While rejecting the proposed constitutional package announced by the present military government, he said the military government seemed determined to make armed forces a political institution and to give them a permanent role in the political system of the country.

The top legal expert made it clear that neither the military nor Gen Pervez Musharraf had the right to amend the constitution, adding that only a sovereign parliament had the right to do it.

Calling for the restoration of the 1973 Constitution, he said the present constitution could be called 1985 Constitution because of the amendments made by dictator Gen Zia-ul-Haq.

He said that being part of the Pakistan National Conference (PNC), consisting of Pakistan People’s Party (SB), Pakistan Awami Party (PAP) and Communist Mazdoor Kisan Party, he would join hands with all those forces who were determined to work for the restoration of the 1973 Constitution in its original form.

The NWP Central President said that he would support all those steps taken towards strengthening of the federal parliamentary structure of the country’s constitution and would oppose all those steps which were being taken towards the presidential form of government.

While condemning the policies of President Gen Pervez Musharraf he said that each and everything was being done to please the US.

Talking about the role of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), he said that it had created hurdles in the way of every democratic government.

However, he strongly criticized the previous democratic governments who did nothing to resist ISI policies.—PPI