ISLAMABAD, July 27: Strongly condemning recent suicide bombings in Britain and Egypt, the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal supreme council on Wednesday termed such terrorist acts a well-orchestrated conspiracy aimed at undermining the Islamic world.

The council which met here said that Islam did not allow killing of innocent people and alleged that deliberate attempts were being made to malign Islam and Muslims.

The meeting condemned the ongoing crackdown on madressahs and arrest and harassment of ulema and alleged that instructions in this regard had been issued on the orders of Western powers. It announced that a Tahafuz Deeni Madaris convention would be held in August to chalk out a line of action.

The six-party alliance observed that the military dictatorship was the root-cause of all ills facing the country, including political instability which was threatening its integrity.

It decided to launch a mass movement after local government polls which would continue till the removal of Gen Musharraf from power and end to military’s involvement in politics.

Briefing media after presiding over the meeting, Qazi Hussain Ahmed said the alliance felt that pitching army against tribesmen in Waziristan would jeopardize the country’s defence capabilities.

The meeting felt that there was no controversy on registration of religious institutions but the government must negotiate with the heads of these institutions before implementing its decision.

The MMA described the recent statement of the Peshawar corps commander who had allegedly accused some religious parties of helping reorganization of Taliban as irresponsible and called for its rebuttal.

It also took serious notice of President Musharraf’s appeal to the people in his address to the nation to vote for progressive parties and described it as involvement of the COAS in politics which was unconstitutional.

The MMA observed that the army could not face international pressures in the present circumstances and there was a need to allow political institutions to function leaving army to concentrate on country’s defence.

The alliance demanded that President Musharraf should step down both as the president and the army chief, and that the constitutional powers of assemblies be restored.

In reply to a question, Qazi Hussain said alliance’s contacts with people were intact and whenever its leaders came out on the streets masses would follow them.

The MMA also discussed the situation in Karachi and urged the CEC to ensure implementation of the code of conduct and peaceful conditions to enable people to cast their votes without any fear in the mega city.

The alliance observed that holding of local polls on non-party basis was creating disturbances and demanded polls on party basis.

Qazi Hussain told a questioner that the MMA had never discouraged or blocked women from contesting local bodies polls and a number of its women candidates had already been elected unopposed.

He said all the six parties were represented in the council meeting by three members each. The meeting was attended, among others, by Maulana Fazlur Rahman (JUI-F), Lt-Gen K.M. Azhar (JUP), Allama Sajid Naqvi (TIP), Qari Gul Rahman (JUI-S), Liaquat Baloch, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, Pir Ijaz Hashmi and Syed Munawwar Hasan.