SUKKUR, April 27: Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that all political parties of the country are united on demand that rule of the army must end, democracy restored in its true form and parliament made a sovereign institution.

The army rule, he said, had proved disastrous for the country and its continuation would endanger national solidarity.

Addressing a press conference at the Sukkur airport on Thursday, he said that the rulers considered themselves to be indispensable for the country, but they had been proved wrong in the past and the country broke apart in 1971 because of their wrong policies and negative approach.

He said the recent meeting between former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto was part of democratic process, but nothing new came out of it. Nobody should object to their meeting as they had been former premiers and had the right to take part in national politics, he added.

However, Maulana Fazal stressed that decisions related to Pakistan should be taken in the country and not in a foreign country.

He said the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) was in contact with the local leadership of PPP-Parliamentarians and the PML-N, but they were unaware of the outcome of the London meeting.

Maulana Fazl said he did not see anything specific in the charter of democracy of Mr Sharif. In reply to a question, he said the charter did not speak much about the ground realities in the country.

About participation in 2007 elections, he said the MMA would take decision in the light of the prevailing conditions. He strongly opposed the collaboration between Pakistani and US armed forces, and said it against the national interest. This collaboration might be extended in the US action against Iran, he added.

Pakistan, he said, should not support the US evil colonial designs in the region. He criticised the operation in North Waziristan, other tribal areas and Balochistan.

He demanded revival of the system of political agencies and jirga in tribal areas, withdrawal of armed forces from there and autonomy of the provinces.

The MMA leader also demanded implementation of the recommendations of the parliamentary committee on Balochistan, headed by Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain.

He said the thinking of the rulers was against that of religious forces and groups. Therefore, they were making major changes in the educational syllabus, specially in Islamiyat.

The press conference was also attended by MNA Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Senator Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro and Maulana Muhammad Murad.