KARACHI, Jan 26: Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) wants all opposition parties to take a unanimous decision in the multi-party conference (MPC) to boycott elections under General Musharraf or to launch a decisive movement against the regime likewise the people of Bangladesh to get a neutral caretaker setup for next election.

“It is our desire that all opposition parties in the MPC would take a decision with full consensus to boycott polls under General Musharraf or to mobilise people for a final struggle to send him (Musharraf) home for getting a neutral caretaker setup on the pattern of people of Bangladesh,” said Mr Ahsan Iqbal, the central information secretary of PML-N.

Without saying that the PML-N would boycott next elections under General Pervez Musharraf, Mr Iqbal told a press conference at Karachi Press Club on Friday that his party believed that any deal with the present regime is betrayal with the country and the Constitution and all opposition parties have a consensus that free, fair and impartial elections were impossible in the presence of General Musharraf.

He said that the PML-N took the decision to convene the MPC after consulting all opposition parties including Benazir Bhutto, as all opposition parties wanted implementation of the Constitution as it was before the October 12, 1999 military takeover; setting up of a national unity government; establishment of an independent Election Commission; supremacy of judiciary and to allow Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto to return to the country and lead the masses.

He said his party respected the demand of PPP regarding holding of MPC from the platform of Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) and the leadership of both parties were in touch with each other to resolve this issue. “The PPP and PML-N leaders would meet in Islamabad on Saturday to find an acceptable solution,” he added.

He hoped that the MPC would be a successful event and afterwards all opposition parties would launch a decisive struggle for a neutral caretaker setup.

Holding General Musharraf responsible for making the Pakistan Army a controversial institution, Mr Iqbal said that it was unacceptable for everyone to see Musharraf contesting presidential elections in uniform. “If one general is allowed to take part in politics then other generals should also be given the same right,” he added.

He said that every officer of the Pakistan Army would run the election campaign of General Musharraf, as every soldier is bound to follow the orders of the Chief of the Army Staff.

The PML-N leader said that the next general elections and the General Musharraf’s plan to get him re-elected from the same assemblies compelled all opposition parties to unite on a single platform.

He said that the government was inducting thousands of people in education departments and intelligence agencies as part of its election rigging drive.

He said that present regime has set records of corruption whether it was in the case of privatisation of Pakistan Steel Mill or stock market scam. He said that the regime was selling the building of Pakistan Embassy in Tokyo for only US$ 52 million despite the fact that the market value of the building in US$ 200 million. He demanded of the Senate’s Foreign Relation Committee to review the deal.

He termed the recent US legislation, endorsed by the House of Representatives, as Pressler Amendment Second or the Taliban bill and a sign of failure of Pakistan’s foreign policy. He demanded General Musharraf to resign immediately to save the country from further disaster.

Sindh PML-N leaders Salim Zia and Sardar Rahim were also present.