Fazal ready for polls under PCO
Bureau Report

QUETTA—Secretary General MMA and former opposition leader in the National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Tuesday said that holding of free and fair elections is the only way out of the current political crisis. Addressing a press conference here he said his party would take part in elections if held under Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO).
He criticized the arrest of political leaders, workers, lawyers and journalists and demanded their immediate release. The MMA leader said that no contact has made with the government or President Musharraf after the imposition of emergency in the country. He said he is in contact with all political leaders and would try to unite them to struggle for imposition of real democracy in the country.
To a question Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that all the political parties had agreed on one-point agenda to form APDM. But soon every political party followed its own way and naturally undermined the movement. Responding to a question, he rejected any difference among MMA leaders adding that nobody would be allowed to make forward block in the alliance. Maulana Fazlur Rehman asserted that he always preferred moderate lines to pursue political goals.
The secretary general MMA, Maulana Fazl-Ur-Rehman has strongly condemned and demanded immediate release of all the arrested politicians and lawyers by the government, in the wake of emergency.
Addressing a press conference at the JUI’s Provincial secretariat before departing from Islamabad, he affirmed his decision to take part in elections, even if held according to PCO, since only elections can take out the Country of all the crisis.
He expected to unite all the polity on a mutual forum, and launch a concerted move for restoration of democracy, fervently hoping and expected emergency to end at earliest. He disclosed that all APDM, members had agreed over a single agenda, but sooner very party embarked on its own particular path, and started giving its own statements and speeches.
He discounted the notion that APDM was any electoral alliance but was rather a political oriented entity. Only MMA has both the status of political and electoral entity.
Replying to a question he strongly denied any rift or forward block in JUI, and ensured not to allow the party go astray. He vowed his pride and satisfaction that his party had always derided and eschewed extremism, keeping its tone moderate, due to which it was tied up with PML (Q), unjustly.
Replying to another question, he said that his part had always volunteered to play its part in obtaining a truce in Wazirstan crisis, which stands till today , and vowed to combat the evil of American influence in the region , which might affect Pakistan , China and other regional countries.  dilemma for a person like me who is worried about the strategic programme and also the deal not going through,” the daily added.