KARACHI, May 23: President of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal Qazi Hussain Ahmed has said that the Pakistan People’s Party-Parliamentarians (PPP-P) has turned down the MMA’s invitation to participate in the All-Parties Conference planned by the alliance in Islamabad on May 25.

Addressing lawyers at the Shuhada-i-Punjab Hall on the premises of the City Courts here on Wednesday, he said that all opposition parties and groups, heirs of the missing persons, civil society organisations and other invitees had agreed to participate in the APC but the PPP-P had chosen to stay away. He said the PPP-P chief Amin Fahim had informed him that the leadership of his party did not approve of the proposal.

Qazi Hussain said MMA believed that it was time for launching a forceful movement against the military rulers. He said that the May 25 APC was convened to chalk out a comprehensive strategy to get rid of the dictatorship as soon as possible.

He said: “Gen Pervez Musharraf is responsible for the killings, kidnappings, manhandling of judges and lawyers and torching of vehicles in Karachi on May 12 as Altaf Hussain is no more a representative of the people of Karachi.” He pointed out that Gen Musharraf was patronising the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

The MMA chief noted that conspiracies were being hatched to trigger ethnic riots by provoking Pakhtuns and Urdu-speaking people but, he pledged, MMA would foil all such attempts. He said people must know that there was no linguistic issue involved in the Karachi violence, and urged people to recognize the conspirators.

Referring to the May 12 episode, he said the entire world witnessed whatever happened that day and who unleashed a reign of terror against lawyers, journalists and political activists.

Clarifying MMA’s position vis-a-vis the 17th amendment, he remarked: “Gen Musharraf is in power not because of the constitutional amendment, but because of the power (gun) he is wielding.”

He said Gen Musharraf would not shed his military uniform easily, therefore, the nation would have to use its might to force him out.

Criticising the general for delaying his retirement by himself, Qazi Hussain said by doing so, the general had posed a challenge to the nation.

Observing that Gen Musharraf’s days were numbered, he urged PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto to rethink over her readiness to work as prime minister under Gen Musharraf.

MQM: Qazi Hussain Ahmed, who is also Amir of Jamaat-i-Islami, said the May 12 mayhem had exposed the MQM’s real face, adds PPI.

He ruled out the possibility of initiating a dialogue with the MQM, saying: “talks could not be held with terrorists.”

He regretted that the government had failed to take any action against the terrorists already identified by the media in their live telecast, adding that these very terrorist were now trying to engineer ethnic clashes in Karachi.

The MMA leader said that May 12 events had tarnished the image of Pakistan in the world. He recalled that entire Karachi was blocked, people were barred from proceeding to the airport to receive Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and the city was taken over by terrorists and arsonists.

He also condemned an armed attack on a private TV channel, kidnapping and manhandling of lawyers and other atrocities.

On the occasion, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rehman, former City Nazim Naimatullah Khan, MPA Nasrullah Shaji and other MMA leaders appreciated lawyers for launching a massive and prolonged movement for the independence of the judiciary, and pledged their full support to their just struggle.