LAHORE, May 16: Jamaat-i-Islami amir Qazi Husain Ahmad has urged the PPP and the PML-N to go for impeachment of Pervez Musharraf as both the parties have the required strength in parliament.

At a press conference after a meeting of the central executive committee here on Friday, he said the nation had mandated the PPP, the PML-N and other coalition partners to oust Musharraf from the presidency and restore the deposed judges.

He said the presidency was the main reason behind the differences between the PPP and the PML-N.

The Qazi said the coalition partners could easily get a two-thirds majority in the joint session of parliament for the impeachment but, he added, they were hesitating for want of green signal from the US. He said the real democracy and progress would remain a dream as long as Musharraf was in power, urging the coalition partners to get rid of the man as soon as possible. He offered support of his party for the purpose.

He said the Jamaat would invite lawyers, civil society members and opposition parties to attend a National Conference to be held in the first week of June for discussing the prevailing situation and a future strategy on the judges’ issue.

He made it clear that no body would accept restoration of judges without Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

He regretted that PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari was saying that his party would make efforts for the withdrawal of the PML-N’s federal ministers’ resignations, but at the same time he appointed Punjab governor without approval of the coalition partner.

He said the appointment of Salmaan Taseer would widen differences between the coalition partners. The rejection of the nomination papers of Sharifs in the general election and acceptance of the same for the bypolls had made it clear that the Election Commission was not independent, he said.

The Qazi condemned the US attack on Bajaur and criticised the government for showing its ignorance about it. He regretted that the US planes were violating Pakistan’s air space and bombing its territories as the country’s armed forces were providing no protection to the citizens.

The government, he said, was not making efforts to resolve the problems of a common man. He said rocketing prices of commodities had made the life of people miserable. He said the country was facing severe water shortage and India was bent upon converting Pakistan into a desert by stealing its water.

“It’s a pity that the rulers give a free hand to India and are not making efforts to get Pakistan’s due share of water.”

He urged the government to extend full support to the Chinese in the hour of distress.

He said Pakistan should take active part in the relief activities in the quake-stricken areas of the neighbouring country.