Opposition parties will not contest the general elections if they are held in the presence of President General Pervez Musharraf because "his presence has worsened the country's situation", Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) President Qazi Hussain Ahmed told Daily Times on Friday.

Qazi reached Islamabad on Friday after two-week house arrest at Mansoora, Lahore. He demanded that Musharraf resign from both the president and the chief of army staff slots.

He criticised the foreign, economic and internal polices of Musharraf, saying that a war had started in Balochistan and North Waziristan "and the Army was killing Pakistanis" because of the government's wrong polices.

If the government and Army want to end the war in North Waziristan, I am ready to play my role, he said. He said that he supported MMA MNA Maulana Mirajuddin's proposal that the government form a parliamentary committee to resolve the Waziristan problem.

He demanded the military's involvement in politics be stopped and an interim government consisting of patriotic people be set up to run the country according to the Constitution.

Replying to a question, the MMA chief said that the decision to tender resignations from parliament would be taken after consulting other opposition parties. He said the opposition parties had formed a steering committee, which would discuss this option. Responding to a question, Qazi said the MMA would take action against its MPAs, who have cast their votes in favour of government candidates in the Senate election. He said the MMA would also consider the proposal regarding the filing of references against government candidates, who committed horse trading in NWFP.

"The 17th constitutional amendment has no value because General Musharraf has broken his promise to shed uniform by December 31, 2004," he said. He called for the restoration of the Constitution in its original form. Qazi said the US had admitted that India was a regional superpower and was preparing India against China.

People have realised and begun to oppose Musharraf's pro-American government, and the joint opposition will submit their resignation at a suitable time, said the MMA leader. "Parliament membership has no meaning for us."