PPP, PML To Boycott Musharraf's All-Party Meet

Meeting called by Gen. Musharraf is meaningless as his regime lacks the constitutional and popular mandate to settle vital nationalissues, feels PPP

K.J.M. Varma

Updated on: 26 June 2001 12:00 am

The all Party meeting called by Pakistan President Gen. Pervez Musharraf inIslamabad on Wednesday to discuss his forthcoming visit to India received asetback with former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)and deposed Premier Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (PML) deciding toboycott it.

The Central Executive Committee of the PPP, which met on Monday evening,decided to stay away from the meeting to protest against four major issuesincluding Government's failure to announce the date for elections andMusharraf's taking over as president.

PPP's Deputy General Secretary Raza Rabbani said "Gen. Musharraf'sregime lacked the constitutional and popular mandate to settle vital nationalissues, therefore it is meaningless for the party to attend the meeting convenedby him."

The Party has been advocating a dialogue between India and Pakistan toresolve all outstanding issues, including Kashmir. But the dialogue should beheld by elected representatives than coup leaders, he said, adding the party hasreferred the decision (of boycotting the meeting) for approval of Benazir Bhutto.

The party said it has decided to boycott the meeting to also protest overother issues like ban on political activities and victimisation of politicalleaders, particularly of Bhutto and retrenchment of workers and price hike.

Rabbani said Benazir was expected to convey her decision before the meetingof the 16 party Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) on Tuesday.

The PPP's decision followed a similar decision taken by PML, which said itwould also try and prevail on the ARD and other parties to boycott the meeting.

The ARD, in which PML and some of the other mainstream parties areconstituents, will hold a meeting at Lahore on Tuesday evening to decide whetherto attend the meeting or not.

The meeting, called by Gen. Musharraf after he took over as the President onJune 20 angered many political parties which termed his move as illegal andunconstitutional.

However, there are indications that other parties including the MuthiahadaQuami Movement, (MQM) Jamat-e-Islami, cricketer-turned-politician, Imaran KhansEnsaf-e-Teherik and other smaller parties would attend the meeting, for which 24leaders have been invited.

Ahead of the all party meeting, Gen. Musharraf has invited editors andjournalists for a meeting on Tuesday to discuss his India visit as well as thestand to be taken on Kashmir issue. (PTI)