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Alliance for Restoration of Democracy demands fresh presidential election in Pakistan

The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy has ruled out the possibility of forming a coalition with any political party that would accept Pervez Musharraf as the president of Pakistan and the National Security Council as a permanent constitutional institution.

Also, "We have decided not to support any party or alliance of parties that would support the recent constitutional amendments [brought about by Musharraf] and the legal framework order," ARD chairman Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan said in Islamabad on Friday afternoon.

"We reject the April 30 referendum [electing Musharraf as president] and demand a fresh election to the office of the president. Our demand is Gen Musharraf should step down from the president's office and give the new parliament the constitutional right to elect a president in the light of the procedure laid down in the constitution of 1973."

"We also reject the government's plan of asking the new parliamentarians to take oath under the provisional constitutional order," he said.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that Pakistan Peoples Party leader Benazir Bhutto has sent for the leader of her party in the country, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, for talks in Dubai. Fahim, expected to leave for Dubai on Saturday, is to apprise Bhutto of the outcome of a series of meetings that he had with various politicians during the last week.

Though her party is part of the ARD, Bhutto is believed to be contemplating joining hands with the PML (Q), which is allegedly backed by the military regime. She accuses the military regime of having prevented her from contesting the general election.

In another development, Muttehida Majlise Amal vice-president Qazi Hussain Ahmad said in Islamabad that the MMA was open to an alliance with either the PPP or the PML (Q) if its leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman is made the prime minister.

"The country is facing a crisis, which is as severe as that of 1971. It is the time to demonstrate flexibility and end polarisation," Qazi told the mediapersons.

More reports from Pakistan

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