November 10, 2003	Monday	Ramazan 14, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 9: MNA Maimoona Hashmi said on Sunday that the letter on the basis of which her father was detained had been received by many opposition parliamentarians and it was read out in an ARD meeting before being released to the press in accordance with the decision of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy.

Speaking at a news conference, she reiterated the determination of the PML-N, the ARD and other parties to continue struggle for restoration of true democracy in the country.

She predicted a countrywide campaign by the combined opposition for the release of her father very soon.

She said her father was being kept in a solitary confinement and his whereabouts had not been made known to anyone, including his family, for the last 12 days while the National Assembly speaker had failed to issue his production orders due to the pressure of the government.

PML-N vice-presidents Syed Zafar Ali Shah and Mushahidullah Khan and chief coordinator Ahsan Iqbal were also present at the conference.

Ms Hashmi said despite the presence of prime minister, interior minister and the speaker in the lower house, an MNA was not being produced in the session of the assembly, which showed the hollowness of the claim of the regime that it had been transferred all democratic powers.

“The interior minister calls Mr Hashmi an accused but can he tell the people as to how he switched over his loyalties to the government to save himself from certain disqualification cases established by NAB against him.”

She said her father had done nothing wrong and he would repeat this crime of exposing the rulers if it was considered as a crime.

She said had her father joined the regime he would have been elevated to a higher position but he opted for a difficult path to satisfy his conscious.

Ms Hashmi demanded that action should also be initiated against the abrogators of the Constitution by invoking article 6 of the 1973 Constitution.

Ahsan Iqbal said the government was afraid of the opposition and the arrest of Mr Hashmi was the result of this fear.