29 October 2004	Friday	14 Ramazan 1425

ISLAMABAD, Oct 28: President of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) Makhdoom Javed Hashmi ended his protest in Adiyala Jail after getting back the manuscript of the book, being written by him, from the jail officials on Thursday, a source told Dawn.

Mr Hashmi was on a hunger strike for the past two days when he found the manuscript of his book missing from his cell, said a close aide of Mr Hashmi.

He claimed that Mr Hashmi was meeting with some of the family members at a room adjacent to the jail superintendent's office a couple of days ago. When he went back to his cell, he said, Mr Hashmi found that the manuscript of his book was missing. When Mr Hashmi inquired from the jail officials, they expressed their ignorance about it. On this attitude of the jail officials, Mr Hashmi announced a hunger strike.

Owing to the strong protest by Mr Hashmi, he said, the jail officials finally returned the manuscript to him.

Meanwhile, in a message from the Adiyala Jail on completion of his one year in prison, Mr Hashmi asked the political workers and activists to unite for the decisive role in the movement against the dictatorship.

He also asked the political parties supporting the military rulers to review their decision and withdraw their support to it in the larger national interest. He said otherwise these parties would not be able to face the public in the next general elections.

Mr Hashmi, who is also the acting president of the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), said the country needed genuine democracy and end to the military dictatorship for its sovereignty and safety.

He asked all the democracy-loving people and democratic forces to join hands and chalk out a 20-year national agenda so that the country could not witness another military takeover.