06 June 2004	Sunday	17 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

LAHORE, June 5: Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy President Makhdoom Javed Hashmi said here on Saturday that peace in Karachi could be restored only if genuine representatives of people were given the right to rule Sindh.

Talking to reporters at an accountability court where he was produced amidst tight security arrangements, the PML-N acting president claimed that the province (of Sindh) was being governed by an unrepresentative administration.

Police kept a vigil on the PML-N leader in and out of the courtroom to prevent him from accessing a group of keen reporters, one or two of whom managed to have a brief chat with him nonetheless.

The court adjourned until June 16 further proceedings on a reference against the opposition leader, who was facing charges of amassing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income while holding public office in the two Nawaz Sharif governments in the 90s.

Mr Hashmi said in reply to a question that the Musharraf regime might call for early elections towards the end of this year. The ARD, he said, was convinced that the regime wanted early elections because of failure of the incumbent political administration to deliver the goods.

He hoped that the next elections would see Gen Musharraf without his uniform.

The ARD president was arrested on Aug 23, 2001, by the National Accountability Bureau, on charges of amassing property worth Rs38 million by misusing public office from 1991 to 1993 and 1997 to 1999.

A reference against him was sent to the accountability court which allowed him to be released on bail in Feb 2003.

The NAB later amended its chargesheet to extend it to another nine members of Mr Hashmi's family. The NAB now accuses him of transferring most of the 'illegal' property in the name of his wife, sons, brother, daughter and son-in-law. His son-in-law was the first of the co-accused to appeared in the NAB court on Saturday where he was served with a copy of the chargesheet. The rest of the co-accused were represented by their counsel.

The reference accuses Javed Hashmi of purchasing land and houses out of the 'ill-gotten' wealth in Multan and Islamabad and buying shares in different companies as well as 350 kanals at Kot Addu in Muzaffargarh district.

Mr Hashmi is serving a 23-year sentence in a treason case at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.