LAHORE, March 13: Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-i-Azam) senior vice-president Ijazul Haq on Wednesday accused Maj-Gen Rashid Qureshi, the Inter-Services Public Relations director general, of creating problems for the restoration of democracy.

Talking to reporters after a ceremony in which former Jamaat-i-Islami MPA Mian Mahmoodur Rashid announced his decision to join the Muslim League, Mr Haq said whenever there was some progress towards the restoration of democracy Gen Qureshi issued some statement which spoiled the environment. He said the situation was creating problems for the government.

He said he had met Jamaat amir Qazi Husain Ahmad in the morning and discussed with him amendments to the constitution. He said both the two agreed that all amendments to the constitution should be made through parliament.

Asked whether the PML(QA) would resist the government move to amend the constitution, he said there was no need to resist it since “every party” felt the need for “changes” essential for a strong democracy.

“There is no need to voice concern on the issue as all the amendments will have to be presented before the parliament for ratification. The parliament can reject the amendments.”

He feared that any confrontation between the government and political forces might hinder the restoration of democracy.

He, however, urged the government to take political parties into confidence and settle the issue on a give-and-take basis. Otherwise, he said, the government might have to give in even more. He recalled that 70 per cent of the constitutional amendments proposed by government had been rejected by the National Assembly.

He said Gen Pervez Musharraf had two options before him (for becoming president for the next five years). He could hold a referendum or be elected by the parliament. He said the general should keep in mind that if he chose for the first option, he would still need ratification by the parliament.

Mr Haq said together his party and the Jamaat would face the anti-democratic forces. He said committees would be formed to approach other parties for the purpose. In this regard, he said, he had also met Hamid Nasir Chattha last night and discussed unification of PML factions with him.

Earlier speaking at the ceremony, PML(QA) president Mian Azhar said his party did not believe in a ‘solo flight.’ It wanted to create a consensus among political parties on issues like poverty, price hike and energy and water policies.

Giving his impressions of the PML(QA) leaders’ Sindh visit, he said it was a big success and that it provided him a chance to understand the problems of the people there. On assuming power, he said, his party would remove their deprivations.

Saying politicians as well as the army had committed mistakes in the past, Mr Haq urged upon the parties to sit together and discuss the causes of the failure of democracy in the country.

Party’s Punjab chief Chaudhry Pervez Elahi said the PML (Nawaz) had become a subsidiary of the Pakistan People’s Party. He said its supporters would soon join the PML(QA). He said a leader who had fled the country and abandoned his workers had not right to lead them, even remain a member of the party.