28 August 2004	Saturday	11 Rajab 1425

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KARACHI, Aug 27: The Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD), Sindh chapter, has condemned the government for not allowing the imprisoned PML-N leader, MNA Javed Hashmi, to attend the Saturday session of the National Assembly as the candidate for the slot of prime minister.

Mr Hashmi contested as the joint candidate of the opposition and it was his constitutional right to attend the session where the election was held, said Mr Zain Ansari, president of the Sindh ARD, on Friday.

By turning down the opposition's request for his production order, he deplored, the government proved that it had resorted to unconstitutional methods to keep Mr Hashmi away from the elected house.

He claimed that the government feared that Mr Hashmi might expose the rulers if given any opportunity to speak on the floor of the house. "The government was so fearful that it did not even provide a copy of the speaker's ruling on the opposition's request... only to ensure that the opposition did not approach the apex court.

Mr Ansari described the Saturday election as 'farce' and criticized the government for denying constitutional rights to patriotic politicians on the one hand, and promoting an agent of foreign financial institutions on the other.

MQM-H: Amir Khan, Secretary General of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement, said that by keeping away the Mr Hashmi from the election process, the rulers had proved that they were, in fact, autocrats.

Talking to lawyers in a court where he was brought on Friday in connection with the hearing of a case against him, Amir Khan criticized the speaker's ruling on the opposition's plea. The whole affair, he observed, appeared to be part of the government's agenda of pushing the opposition to the wall.