Islamabad: Already angry about Musharraf's support for the US-led war on terror, Islamists' fury has mounted in the last week after he suggested he might send troops to Iraq, and then called for a nationwide debate on recognising Israel.

The latest blow came on June 30 when a court in the Islamists' stronghold of Peshawar disqualified an Islamist politician from sitting in Parliament as he did not hold a university degree.

The ruling, which can be challenged in the Supreme Court, triggered fears among Islamists that most of their 65 Parliamentarians could face a similar fate after private lawyer Ahmed Khaki filed court petitions to have them disqualified. Election law states that all Members of Parliament must hold university degrees.

Most members of the six-party Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) alliance have degrees from Islamic seminaries, which Khaki argues do not meet the criteria.

At a news conference in Islamabad on July 1 MMA secretary general Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman charged that the court decision was influenced by the government. "This decision has been taken under government pressure," Rehman told reporters.

"Protest demonstrations against this (decision) will be staged all over the country on July 4. We will go to the peoples' court. We will contest this state of affairs," Rehman added. Government sources rejected the allegation.

Islamic parties have joined secular Opposition groups in a noisy series of protests against Musharraf's dual role as President and Army chief since last October's elections.

The mounting row is an embarrassment for Musharraf, who took power in a 1999 coup, and threatens to undermine his efforts to introduce limited democracy while retaining the military's dominant role in politics.

The dispute has hampered the smooth functioning of Parliament, in which pro-military parties have only a narrow majority. The standoff between Musharraf and the MMA has intensified in recent weeks, and political analysts said the two sides appeared to have reached a dead end, which could ultimately even lead to Musharraf dissolving Parliament.

"If the blessings of America could not keep the Shahinshah of Iran (in power), Musharraf is not more powerful than him. If he is unpopular among the people, if the nation hates him, he should forget about remaining President of the country. He is being preposterous," Rehman said angrily.

The MMA made big gains in last October's elections by tapping anger at Musharraf's support for the US- led military action that toppled the radical Taleban in Afghanistan in late 2001.

It gained control of the strategic North West Frontier Province bordering Afghanistan and has since voted to adopt traditional Islamic, or Sharia, law there, a move, which drew comparisons with the Taleban.

Musharraf, who won $ 3 billion in aid after a high profile visit to Washington last week, says there is no room for Taleban-style policies in Pakistan.

Both sides appear to be positioned for a headlong collision, but the government insists that things have not gone out of control and there is still hope for compromise, after two MMA leaders met pro-military Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali on June 30.

ANI