SAHIWAL, March 11: The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) on Thursday night launched it 'remove-Musharraf' drive by holding a big public meeting here at the Hockey Ground.

In their speeches, the alliance leaders described their fresh move as decisive. Punjab opposition leader Qasim Zia said the nation would have to bid farewell to the generals and bring an elected leadership.

PML-N vice president Begum Tehmina Daultana and MNA Maimoona Hashmi accused the government of selling nuclear secrets. Punjab PML-N president Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa and General Secretary Khawaja Saad Rafiq said that this grand public meeting at Sahiwal was an evidence that a majority of the people did not like the present setup.

Former foreign minister Sardar Assef Ahmed Ali said that Pervez Musharraf had harmed national institutions like judiciary and the Election Commission. Earlier, around 100 buses and wagons brought ARD workers from Multan, Lahore, Pattoki, Khanewal, Okara, Mian Channu, Chichawatni, Taunsa, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Vehari and Burewala to the meeting venue. Women caravan arrived separately.

Nawabzada Mansoor Ahmed, the son of former ARD president Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, also addressed the moot. ARD chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim and PML-N's Iqbal Jhagra were yet to address the meeting at the time of filing this report at 11pm.