ISLAMABAD, 4 July 2006 — Opposition parties have warned Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to step down by July 31 or face no-confidence motion in the National Assembly.
The announcement was made jointly by the PPP, PML (N), parties in the Alliance for the Restoration of democracy (ARD) and the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) yesterday. Jamaat legislators and ministers have already handed in their resignations to the JI chief, Qazi Hussain Ahmad.
Fazlur Rahman, chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), who remains undecided about joining the opposition bandwagon over President Musharraf’s re-election, also called for the restoration of democracy at a press conference here yesterday.
But he said, “We have certain reservations over the ‘Charter of Democracy’ signed by PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto and PML leader Nawaz Sharif in London on Sunday.”
JUI is a component party of the grand religious alliance, MMA.
PPP Information Secretary Sherry Rahman told Arab News on telephone, “Though we are less in number we will table the ‘no-confidence motion’ against Prime Minister Aziz if he does not step down by July 31.”
Main opposition parties have endorsed the ‘charter of democracy’ that envisages giving an elected prime minister the power to hire and fire services chiefs and judges of the superior courts. Benazir late Sunday night told the private “Sindh” channel that, “besides moving the no-trust motion against Aziz we also intend to move a motion to impeach President Musharraf.” She said, “I will soon be traveling to Pakistan to organize the opposition forces as we feel President Musharraf’s holding the highest office has endangered the integrity of the country.”
“If Gen. Musharraf decides to get himself re-elected from the assemblies we will quit the assemblies,” Sharif told Geo and ARY networks from London. He said the present government had broken all records of corruption and the attempt to privatize Pakistan Steel Mills was the latest one.
Sharif said he was concerned about the situation in Pakistan and was not longing for power. He said the military operations in the tribal areas and Balochistan were detrimental to the country’s integrity.
Both Benazir and Sharif reiterated their sole agenda was to remove Gen. Musharraf and restore democracy.
PPP and PML deputies have also handed in their resignations to Benazir and Sharif.
Sherry told Arab News, “We will requisition the National Assembly soon to table the no-confidence motion against Aziz and for the impeachment of President Musharraf.
President Musharraf, however, holds sufficient constitutional powers to foil the latest move by the opposition.
