KARACHI, Sept 7: The All-parties Conference held under the auspices of the Jamaat-i-Islami’s Karachi chapter on Wednesday, made a fervent appeal to people, especially traders, transporters, lawyers, workers, peasants and students to make the Sept 9 strike a complete success.

Demanding immediate withdrawal of the recent hike in petroleum prices, the APC expressed solidarity with the communiqué issued by National Leaders’ Conference held in Islamabad on Sept 4.

Through one of the resolutions the APC adopted on Wednesday, the government was urged to take any decision on internal and international affairs after getting the issues discussed in the parliament. It demanded restoration of the constitution in its Oct 12, 1999 position.

The APC was presided over by Senator Prof Ghafoor Ahmed and attended by representatives of over a dozen national and regional level parties, including PPP, PML-N, ANP, JUI-F and JUP. It asked Gen Pervez Musharraf to quit both the offices he held — president and chief of the army staff —, and demanded that the vacancies be filled in accordance with the relevant provisions of the constitution. It advised the armed forces to concentrate on their role of safeguarding the country’s frontiers instead of indulging in moves to acquire powers.

It warned the government against hurling threats at madressahs, and demanded that any decision about religious seminaries be taken after taking their representative body, the Ittehad Tanzeemat-i-Deenia, into confidence.

The APC called for the appointment of a permanent chief election commissioner in consultation with the opposition, and demanded that the local government election be held afresh.

The conference urged all national-level parties to formulate a joint strategy to steer the country out of the present crises, and called for intensifying the opposition movement against the ‘anti-people’ rulers.

It condemned price-hike, increasing unemployment and lawlessness, observing that the increased petroleum prices had ultimately pushed the rates of essential commodities very high and out of the reach of common man.

The graph of people living below poverty-line is on the rise while the rulers’ lifestyle is continuing to become more and more luxurious. According to a report, the number of unemployed in the country has crossed the 17.5 million mark, it was observed.

The parliament is not being taken into confidence on important issues like Kashmir and Palestine while all decisions on sensitive matters are taken by an individual. The national interests are being bargained upon for the sake of friendship with India and Israel.

“In the recent local government election, new records of rigging were made which made it clear to political and democratic forces that no free and fair election can be held under the present government and administration.

In his concluding remarks, Prof Ghafoor Ahmed, who is also Naib Amir of Jamaat-i-Islami and a central leader of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, said that unity of all democratic forces was need of the hour and essential for launching a joint struggle against the military dictatorship.

Referring to the National Leaders’ Conference communiqué, he said: “Unity of opposition forces is a welcome sign for the whole nation as this will get people rid of the cruel rulers who has made progress only in fields of price hike and lawlessness.

The JI leader contested the statements of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and his aides that the recent local government election was absolutely peaceful, and pointed out that more than 70 people lost their lives in the process.

He claimed that people had lost faith in judiciary for its failure in dispensing justice.

Speaking on the occasion, Secretary General of PPP Sindh Nafees Siddiqui termed the government’s economic and foreign policies ‘imported’, and said they did not manifest the ground realities and did not reflect people’s aspirations.

Sindh PML-N’s chief organizer Mamnoon Hussain refuted the government’s claim that Pakistan had been in contacts with Israel for many years.

The PML government led by Mian Nawaz Sharif had never established any contacts with Israel during its two tenures, he added.

JI’s city chief Dr Mairajul Huda Siddiqui thanked all participating parties for taking the unanimous decision of launching a joint movement against the government, and called for their active role in this regard.

The other leaders who endorsed the Sept 9 strike call included Shahi Syed, Zubair Khan, Allama Hasan Turabi, Rashid Rabbani, Mufti Usman Yar Khan, Maulana Abdul Karim Abid, Maulana Khan Mohammad Rabbani, Malik Ghulam Sarwar Awan, Nusrat Mirza, Basharat Mirza and Hafiz Mohammad Taqi.