The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy on Saturday demanded of President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz-led government to resign, as they had lost the masses' confidence.
Talking to newsmen after the ARD meeting here at the Pakistan Peoples' Party Secretariat, Makhdoom Amin Fahim demanded of Musharraf and the government to quit.
As a decisive move, the ARD chairman revealed that all lawmakers of the alliance had been asked to get ready for resignation from the Parliament as well as the provincial assemblies.
"After the masses have lost faith in President Musharraf and the government, there is no justification for them to continue," ARD chairman asserted.
When asked whether the ARD members were ready to tender en mass resignations from the Parliament and the provincial assemblies, he said the option was very much there.
"We have talked to ARD members and alerted them for the development. However, we can avail this option at an appropriate time," he maintained.
This is for the first time that the ARD leadership on record hinted at resignation from the assemblies.
Amin Fahim said that the ARD would participate in the Jamaat-i-Islami organised National Conference to be held tomorrow (Sunday) at the residence of MMA city president and MNA Mian Mohammed Aslam.
The conference, JI Amir Qazi Hussain Ahmed said the other day, was aimed at evolving consensus on all the important national issues.
Amin Fahim also said that the provincial governments had also no justification to continue, following the unprecedented pre-poll and the polling day rigging in the local bodies' elections.
FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Referring to reports of changing the parliamentary form of government to presidential rule, the ARD chairman made it clear that political parties would not accept any other system.
Some reports have surfaced in recent days, indicating that the parliamentary system might be wound up, replacing it with presidential form of government.
All opposition groups have been describing the Parliament as 'rubber stamp' and that decisions are made by an individual (Musharraf).
"We are for federal parliamentary system and no other mode of government will be acceptable to political forces and the masses," he cautioned.
About the meeting, he said that ARD component parties reviewed the local bodies' polls and out-rightly rejected the results.
Provincial governments, he alleged, broke all previous records of rigging and violation of the Election Commission's code of conduct.
ARD chairman charged that though the rulers promised to the nation to hold the electoral process in fair, free and transparent manner, but the unprecedented rigging marred the polls.
He called for complete re-organisation of the Election Commission and the appointment of the chief election commissioner, who was acceptable to all and sundry.
"The masses and political parties no more have faith in the Election Commission. Therefore, it is time for its overhauling," the ARD chief contended.
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