Fazl rules out talks with Musharraf

Published September 10, 2007

ISLAMABAD, Sept 9: The Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that there will be no dialogue with the government and struggle for the restoration of Constitution and democracy will continue from the platform of All-Parties Democracy Movement (APDM).

Addressing a meeting of the party’s central working committee and later talking to newsmen on Sunday, he said that PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto had disappointed the people by negotiating a deal with the dictatorship.

He said the JUI (F) would welcome the Sharif brothers when they would arrive at the Islamabad airport on Monday.

The MMA leader, who was scheduled to leave for Saudi Arabia on Sunday, decided to delay his departure in view of the Sharif brothers’ arrival.

Party sources said that now he might leave the country after a few days.

The Maulana said: “There is no question of talking with Musharraf as his party is part of struggle to get rid of the dictatorship.”

He said that voters would defeat the forces of so-called enlightened moderation.

The JUI, he said, would contest the polls from the platform of MMA as the APDM was not an electoral alliance.

He said that seat adjustments were possible with candidates of component parties of the APDM.

He said that returning home was a constitutional and legal right of Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif and his party would fully participate in welcoming ceremonies.

The two-day meeting of the party, which concluded on Sunday, reviewed the political situation and discussed the strategy for the future.

He said the government had failed both on internal and external fronts as law and order situation had reached a dangerous turn and life of the common people had become difficult due to price hike.

The JUI (F), he said, had decided to work hard for strengthening of parliamentary system in the country.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman said a crisis would ensue if the presidential election was held before the general election.

He said the JUI (F) would neither support nor cast its votes in the president’s election and would take all decisions from the platform of APDMA in this matter.

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