LAHORE, April 9: MQM’s exiled leader Altaf Husain says his party is ready to part ways with the government if all political parties agree on putting an end to involvement of armed forces in politics. Speaking at a telephonic press conference from London here on Sunday, he said the MQM would say goodbye to the democratic setup sustaining under the umbrella of army the day all the parties would develop a consensus on opposing the repeated army intervention.

Criticising religious parties for their alleged collaboration with feudal lords and army generals, Mr Husain said they befooled the masses by covering their ambitions with religion.

After a signal by the establishment, he alleged, they worked against Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif while the latter two also held long marches and forged alliances against each other. Now both the parties were out of power while their leaders were abroad, he regretted and added that they along with the religious parties were talking of democracy.

They would talk of launching a movement against an individual and not for change in the system, he said. “They protested against the Legal Framework Order for one and a half years but later accepting a nod from some unknown authority they voted for the same.”

He said he was in favour of allowing Ms Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif to return home and take part in elections while remaining within the ambit of the Constitution.

The MQM chief said he was not abroad because of any army general or any case rather the coordination committee of his party had asked him to leave the country after repeated attempts on his life.

“I am ready to return home where thousands of fans are awaiting me but the committee is barring me from coming back to the place where the president, the prime minister and corps commanders had been attacked many times.”

About Balochistan, he said the situation there was the result of the past policies and appealed for restraint both in the province and Waziristan, giving negotiations a chance to resolve disputes.

Issues like Gwadar Port could be settled by granting autonomy to provinces and accepting their constitutional rights, he added.

Mr Husain said the US policy regarding the Balochistan Liberation Army was a food for thought for Pakistanis.

He said American priorities in South Asia had changed as Washington now had a visible tilt towards New Delhi and the situation demanded national solidarity.

He appealed that all should rise above their party interests and display unity for the integrity and survival of the country.

The MQM chief rejected the notion that China would come to Pakistan’s defence and so any change in US priorities would not affect it.

“China is busy in its own defence and is unable to come to our help. Why cannot we defend ourselves?”

Answering a question about Kalabagh and Bhasha dams, he said the MQM’s stance on Kalabagh was known to all while all were unanimous on the construction of Bhasha dam.

About fielding candidates from Punjab in the next polls, he said it depended on working of party units in the province. So far 23 units had been set up in Punjab.

He said electoral adjustment could be made with any party as nothing stood as last thing in politics. However, the final decision would be taken by the coordination committee.

Asked if the MQM would again vote for a president-in-uniform, he said the issue had neither been discussed by the party and nor with constitutional experts. Consultation would be held when the need be.