September 9, 2002	Monday	Rajab 1, 1423

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

ISLAMABAD, Sept 8: The Pakistan People’s Party has urged the Canadian government to take notice of the alleged undemocratic steps of the Musharraf government and send a team of observers to Pakistan to monitor October elections.

According to a message received here by party’s media cell, a PPP delegation led by Saleem Janjua, President PPP Canada, called on Sheila Copps, Canadian Minister of Heritage, on Friday and presented to her a memorandum for the Canadian prime minister on the rejection of nominations papers of PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto.

The minister assured the PPP that the matter would be brought to the attention of Prime Minister Jean Chretien and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bill Graham.

The memorandum said that when Gen Musharraf assumed power, Canada was the first country to denounce and condemn the military takeover. Former minister for foreign affairs Lloyd Axworthy also led a Commonwealth delegation to Pakistan and demanded of the military regime to restore democracy and civil liberties in Pakistan — a decision applauded by the people of Canada.

It said the Supreme Court gave Gen Musharraf a timetable to hold general election by October 10, 2002. Although the regime has announced election schedule, the general is bent upon establishing one-man dictatorship in the country, it added.

First, the general declared himself President for another five years through an unconstitutional referendum in April 2002. Just prior to the announcement of the election schedule, he introduced anti-Benazir Bhutto laws to stop her from contesting the elections, it stated.

The memorandum said the general also made 29 constitutional amendments, which were rejected by all the major political parties and bar associations of the country because no individual had the right to make amendments to the Constitution. Constitutional amendments can be made only by an elected parliament in accordance with the procedure laid down in the 1973 Constitution.

The PPP memorandum said the military regime had created a king’s party and the entire administration was engaged in tailoring the election results in favour of the king’s party. The so-called accountability law is being used to victimize political opponents, particularly the PPP leadership.

Benazir Bhutto had been denied the opportunity to contest the forthcoming elections without any conviction and her nomination papers have been rejected, it said.

On the other hand, many convicted, including former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s papers were accepted. The memorandum urged the Canadian government to condemn Gen Musharraf’s undemocratic practices. It also urged the Canadian government to send a team of observers to monitor the elections.

The memorandum also demanded of the government to hold fair, free and transparent elections and allow Benazir Bhutto to contest the elections. It also demanded of the regime to withdraw all politically-motivated cases against Benazir Bhutto, Asif Zardari, Jehangir Badr and other political prisoners and set them free.

The PPP delegation included Liaquat Malik, President PPP Toronto, Dr Arshad Shah, Ghalib Chaudhry, Zahid Butt, Zubair Bukhari, Ashraf Lodhi, Tariq Akram, Aftab Awan and Jamil Malik.