Islamabad: Amid reports of horse-trading to form a pro-military government in Pakistan, the 15-party Alliance for Restoration of Democracy and religious parties have condemned President Pervez Musharraf's decision to defer the National Assembly session for a week, calling it "immoral" and a move aimed at benefiting a pro- government party.

Denouncing the decision, Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, chairman of ARD, which was opposed to the continuation of Musharraf's Presidency, has said that he would soon call an all-party conference to oppose the postponement.

"We can call an APC to protest against this illogical and immoral decision," Khan said, adding the government had deferred the session to benefit the pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League – Qaide Azam (PML-Q), which had failed to achieve simple majority in the Parliament.

The decision to defer the session for a week, which was scheduled to meet on November 8, was taken by Musharraf at a Cabinet meeting on November 6. He did not announce any fresh dates for the session.

Khan, who claimed he was on the verge of finalising a coalition government of ARD and the hardline Islamic religious party alliance Muthahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), has appealed to politicians, lawyers, scribes and religious bodies to protest the delay in transfer of power by the military regime.

The decision to defer the convening of the newly-elected National Assembly was also condemned by former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto-led Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) and PML-N, led by deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

PTI