KARACHI, April 18: The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (Sindh Chapter) has announced that it would boycott the presidential referendum scheduled for April 30.
Endorsing the decision of the central leadership of the ARD, its provincial chief Shah Muhammad Shah, Nisar Ahmad Khuhro and Basharat Mirza gave the details of the decision taken in the light of the ARD directive in its meeting held on Wednesday.
Mr Shah said all parties of the alliance consider the referendum unconstitutional, illegal and unethical and they were of the opinion that by campaigning in the uniform, Gen Pervez Musharraf had been flouting the concerned article of the constitution.
He said the ARD has also decided to hold a public meeting on April 29 at Nishtar Park, to be addressed by its central leadership.
Nisar Khuhro said in the constitution the procedure of election to the office of president had been specifically mentioned.
He said the government, instead of spending money on welfare projects, had given Rs 950 million for expenditure on referendum.
In reply to a question, Mr Khuhro said that disciplinary action would be taken against all those nazims and councillors who were elected on the support of ARD parties, including PPP but were found flouting ARD directives by involving themselves in the referendum.
On the occasion Basharat mirza read out the names of the members of various committees formed to make arrangements for the ARD public meeting of April 29 at Nishtar Park.
PPP: In a statement in Karachi on Thursday, the Pakistan Peoples Party said the referendum was an arbitrary and unlawful act by the government, which was a conspiracy against the federation, adds PPI.
“The party would resist the holding of the referendum at every forum as the practice of gagging the voice of print media and democratic forces appears to be a fascist act by the government”, it added.
“The workers of some 50 wards of the party, 28 city areas, five districts and all sub organisations in Karachi, would go from door-to-door with the aim to apprise masses against lethal aspects of the referendum”.
