Opposition parties on Wednesday demanded an immediate timetable for the next general elections, but dealt a blow to Tahirul Qadri-led four-day anti-government protest by not endorsing it.

This meeting demands the government announce an election schedule and caretaker set-up without any delay, and specify dates for these events forthwith,” PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif said as he read out a ten-point declaration in a news conference which the over five-hour long joint meeting drew up.The former premier, in a move which appears to isolate the populist Canadian-Pakistani cleric, explicitly stated, “Dr Tahirul Qadri is working on somebody’s agenda to derail democracy. We will not be joining him. We reject all of his demands.

Nawaz asserted that the opposition parties had rejected Qadri’s call for a military role in the formation of a caretaker government to oversee the run-up to the elections, saying his protest rally had threatened to destabilise the country. Earlier, the meeting vehemently rejected the demands of the Minhajul Quran International chief, and called on the government to immediately announce schedule for the next polls and date of the interim governments that must be constituted after consultation with all the stakeholders inside and outside Parliament.

Condemning the killing of Hazara people in Quetta, the meeting called for early arrest of the attackers and steps to prevent the recurrence of such terror incidents. The meeting declaration reposed confidence in the election commission, and called on the government to carry out every national affair in accordance with the Constitution and law. It noted that change would only come through free and fair elections. It resolved that the forces looking to deny the people their democratic right to vote would be sternly resisted, urging the government to avoid anything that was not permissible under the Constitution.

The declaration also expressed the commitment by the signatory parties to remain in touch to counter the undemocratic forces, ensure transparent elections and resolve the problems confronting the masses. It further demanded the government to find out an early solution to the growing energy crisis, ballooning price-hike, rising unemployment and other ills facing the masses.

The PML-N chief, to a media query about the demand – commonly raised by PTI chief Imran Khan and Dr Qadri – for resignation of President Zardari, said such a call was of no use especially when the PPP held majority in the National Assembly and Senate and would be able to re-elect its president in case Zardari resigned. He said it appeared that Imran and Qadri were in collusion with each other in this game. Nawaz however asked Zardari to act promptly; otherwise things would be no more in his hands. He told the media that first time in the national history an election commission had been set up in which everyone had confidence, but it was being deliberately made controversial to check the way of the coming polls.

Referring to the Supreme Court’s Tuesday order, the former premier said the court had not acted in consort with Qadri by calling for the arrest of Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. He added that the court had spelled out what it ordered and that he also agreed to it. He said the PPP-led government had failed on every score but that did not mean that democracy had failed. Had the government delivered, Qadri would not have staged a ‘tamasha’, he remarked. Interacting with the media, JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman dubbed Dr Qadri a Julius Salik of the Muslims”, and questioned him where he was when the NRO was signed and the people were in lurch.

He alleged that Qadri was subverting the Constitution and inciting a rebellion which, according to him, was not possible without an outside push. Fazl observed that internal and external situation in the country did not permit anything unconstitutional. In reply to a media query, Jamaat-e-Islami chief Munawar Hassan said the government should resume the process of consultation with the opposition as regards the formation of interim governments to frustrate the attempts aimed at postponing the coming elections.

PkMAP chief Mahmood Achakzai said any unconstitutional act could jeopardise the federation. “What Qadri demands is totally undemocratic and the Opposition is defending the people against it.” Achakzai added if it be needed, they would make every city a Tahrir Square. National Party head Mir Hasil Bazenjo advised the government to act as time was running out. About the Governor’s Rule in Balochistan, JWP chief Talal Bugti said it would not work because the governor himself was a remnant of the Musharraf era. Prominent among those attended the meeting included QWP head Aftab Ahmad Sherpao, MJAH head Prof Sajid Mir, Saleem Saifullah Khan of the Likeminded Group, PML-F Punjab President Ghulam Mustafa Khar, Owais Noorani of JUP-N and Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif.