MARDAN, Nov 28: A noted scholar of Mardan, Dr Farooq Khan, has asked Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to acknowledge his mistake of not supporting the timely dissolution of the NWFP Assembly, which would have strengthened the opposition.

Talking to journalists here on Wednesday, Dr Khan, a psychiatrist, said people had suffered long for the restoration of the Constitution and parliament but a dictator had wound it up in one go.

He criticised the ban on public gatherings and rallies and said that imposing emergency rule and deposing judges of the superior courts were undemocratic and unconstitutional steps.

He said that according to religious injunctions no one had the right to ban expression of opinion, gatherings and conferences, while providing security was the responsibility of the government.

He said it was the responsibility of all the political and religious parties to reach a consensus about the rule of President Pervez Musharraf.

He said it was the prime responsibility of the parties to rise against the emergency rule and for the restoration of the Constitution and reinstatement of judges.

He suggested that an All Parties’ Conference should be held and Justice (retd) Wajihuddin Ahmad should preside over it.

Meanwhile, Pakistan People’s Party’s candidate for PF-24, Syed Abid Ali Shah advocate, said that removal of military uniform by Gen Musharraf would not solve the problems of the nation. He urged the president to lift emergency rule, restore the Constitution, reinstate judges and appoint an impartial election commissioner to conduct free and fair elections.