The All Parties Conference (APC) on Thursday accused the rulers of using fascist machinations to get elected favourites, depriving the opposition of bagging bulk of the local bodies' seats.
The APC urged the government to observe sanctity of the ballot, as the polls would have direct bearing on the 2007 general elections. The APC demanded that the judiciary should take a fresh oath under the 1973 Constitution so that the courts could function in accordance with the Constitution and not as an individual.
One of the three resolutions passed on the occasion cautioned the government against sending back foreign students of the seminaries, saying this would dent the country's image.
The resolution pointed out that religious students even in Britain, India and the United States were being imparted free and uninterrupted education at seminaries.
Two other resolutions demanded honourable return of exiled leadership, release of politicians, including Javed Hashmi, Yousaf Raza Gillani, Afaq Ahmed, and withdrawal of cases against them.
Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan proposed that all opposition parties should boycott the polls. However, his proposal was set-aside after deliberations.
Another speaker asked the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) to apologise with the nation for its support to the government in the passage of the 17th Amendment. Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that it was time to launch a collective movement against dictatorship.
He proposed that a committee of constitutional experts be formed to review the Constitution and propose which amendments be deleted and amended.
A galaxy of politicians, including Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Raja Zafarul Haq, Imran Khan, bar association leaders, unionists and human rights organisation activists participated in the conference.
Some 60 parties, organisations, associations and unions sent their leaders and representatives to be part of the conference.
The ruling Pakistan Muslim League and its coalition partners were not invited to the daylong meeting held at a local hotel, a few furlongs away from the Parliament House.
Opposition parties met here a week before the first phase of the local bodies election on August 18. Observers from the European Union and the Commonwealth had already arrived to monitor the electoral process.
A joint declaration issued at the end of the APC said that opposition parties could consider resigning en masse from the Parliament and the provincial seats for a decisive movement for restoration of democracy.
The conference made it clear that the polls would be of national and international significance and the world community would be closely monitoring the exercise, therefore, the ballot sanctity be observed at all costs.
The APC demanded that reference should be filed against President General Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, federal and provincial ministers for violating the polls Code of Conduct.
In their speeches, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Raja Zafarul Haq, Imran Khan, Maulana Samiul Haq, Zafar Ali Shah and others shared unanimity that in the given situation, the polls would be rigged.
Most of the speakers came down heavily on President Musharraf and charged that he (Musharraf) never believed in democracy or a true transfer of power.
"His remaining in uniform, presidential referendum, local bodies election in 2001 and 2002, emergence of PPPP Patriot Group, 'subjugation of the judiciary', change of three prime ministers in three years and formation of the National Security Council (NSC) are undeniable proof of the same," the joint declaration added.
The speakers were of the opinion that keeping these facts in view the upcoming local bodies elections, already marred by pre-poll rigging, would be a negation of democracy.
They also saw in appointment of acting chief election commissioner a bid to keep the commission boss under pressure, not allowing him to exercise his powers.
For making the electoral process transparent, the APC proposed that the chief election commissioner be appointed with consensus, giving him all the powers to make the process free and fair.
All the ruling coalition candidates who had been declared winners unopposed due to the government interference be declared void and the Nazims against whom Rs 500 million corruption had been proved be arrested and be punished after recovering looted amount from them.
Six months before the date of the polls, the orders of transfers and postings of police, officials of the Education Department, anti-corruption, local bodies and civil administration be withdrawn.
About the polls, they were of the view that the results of the rigged polls would be used for success in the next general elections, denying the 150 million people their right to elect candidates of their choice.
The Code of Conduct was being used as a tool to harass the opposition candidates, while the government-backed candidates were free to flout it if and when needed.
The speakers lamented that some 98 percent population in all the cantonments was civilian even then they were deprived of the right to vote and Islamabad was also left out.
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