Musharraf defaming army's prestige: MMA

16 Feb, 2004

The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) has declared the President General Pervez Musharraf has been playing a key role in defaming the prestige of army compared to past when the institution was given due honour, respect and prestige by the masses.
The Alliance Restoration of Democracy (ARD) leadership is delivering ill moral attacks for MMA but the alliance will support all efforts made for opposition unity or forming a united opposition alliance.
The MMA central leader, JI Naib Amir and Senator Professor Ghafoor Ahmed stated this in a joint press conference here on Sunday, he demanded the government for taking elected representatives into confidence and tabling scientists' debriefing, Pak-India ties and relations with US in the parliament.
He also demanded in camera briefing of parliamentarians over the investigation against scientists.
The prestige of army is at stake if the army general, corps commanders does not decide their professional limits or continues playing their role in politics, the institution will have to loose his complete credibility from the hearts of nation.
To a query, Ghafoor said President Musharraf has been losing his temperament before media, which indicate his lack of confidence and failure in policies.
Lack of exercising the article 6 of the constitution is badly destroying the spirit of real democracy and it opens a way to defacing the constitution.
There is a dire need to protect constitutional legacy and the implementation upon article 6 must be ensured.
To a question Ghafoor said the MMA is still shaking hands with ARD to form a united opposition but ARD leaders were busy in character assassination of MMA. While narrating the tale of dialogues with Jamali government, Ghafoor said it was PPP who tried her best for initiating dialogues with Musharraf, even the name of Makhdoom Amin Fahim was quoted at one stage for premier.
However, the diplomacy between PPP and the government remained fruitless and unyielding.
Later, the MMA initiated dialogues efforts with Jamali government instead of Musharraf and included required amendments in LFO which were matured by MMA's top rankers.
"Now the ARD leaders delivering ill moral sentences in respect of MMA leadership which are not according to their status. We are still convince that a united opposition can play a vital role in winding up army's role from politics and the restoration of democracy in the country", said Ghafoor.
To a query, he said that the present regime was going to make deal over Kashmir cause but he prayed for the success of Pak-India secretaries level dialogues being held in Islamabad from Monday.
Punjab JI deputy secretary general Rao Zafar Iqbal, Dr Ashraf Ali Atique, Shahabab-i-Mili activist Saad Kanju and Kanwar Siddique were also present in the press conference.

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