03 January 2004	Saturday	10 Ziqa'ad 1424

ISLAMABAD, Jan 2: The secretary general of the Pakistan Muslim League-N, Saranjam Zamindar, has criticized the statement of Qazi Hussain Ahmed in which the latter said the ARD was angry with the MMA because it did not force the government to help in return of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif to country.

In a statement here on Friday, the PML-N office-bearer said the ARD's demand for return of the country's most popular leaders was part of its campaign for the restoration of genuine democracy, supremacy of parliament and the complete revival of 1973 Constitution.

He said neither the PML-N nor the PPP had ever requested the MMA to beg military rulers for allowing return of their leaders. Mr Zamindar said as far as Qazi Sahib's complaint of giving a wrong colour to MMA's deal with Gen Pervez Musharraf was concerned, all democratic elements, independent observers and analysts as well as the lawyers had unanimously declared that the deal had not only legitimised military interference in national politics but had also set a dangerous precedent that could encourage any military adventurer in future to remove an elected government.

He said Qazi Hussain Ahmed could not cover up reality with such remarks, and hide the fact that he had promised to resign from membership of the National Assembly if Gen Pervez Musharraf's LFO was made a part of the Constitution; yet he had accepted the same LFO with endorsing Article 270 AA of the 17th Amendment.

He said the MMA leaders could not deceive the people with far-fetched clarifications of their somersaults. He said the Qazi made a poor show of his sagacity when he repeated Musharraf's remarks that the PML-N and the PPP received guidance from "abroad".

He said, "our parties are proud to be led and guided by the leaders whose popularity resulted in these two parties securing more votes than the total polled by the Q- League, the MMA and their coalition partners in the general elections."