17 November 2004	Wednesday	04 Shawwal 1425

ISLAMABAD, Nov 16: People's Party Parliamentarians (PPP) Secretary-General Raja Pervez Ashraf has lauded all 'political prisoners' for their struggle for the cause of genuine and true democracy in the country.

Talking to various delegations which called on him on the occasion of Eidul Fitr, Mr Ashraf said Asif Ali Zardari, Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani, Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, Salahuddin Dogar and Pir Mukarram Shah were facing "state oppression" with great courage.

The PPP leader demanded that free and fair elections should be conducted in the country to bring it out of the political mess. Before announcing fresh elections, he said, all political prisoners, including Mr Zardari, should be released.

He also called for ending the so-called process of accountability. Mr Ashraf claimed false cases had been registered against the party chairperson, Benazir Bhutto. He further demanded that the cases against Ms Bhutto and Mr Zardari should also be withdrawn immediately.

The PPP secretary-general said today Pakistan was facing great hardships and difficulties only because there was no democracy in the country. He said only true and popular political leadership could resolve the problems of the masses.

He vowed that the PPP under the leadership of Ms Bhutto would continue its struggle for the restoration of democracy and supremacy of the parliament.

About the future programme, he said, the opposition would soon requisition a session of the National Assembly. He said the opposition would raise all issues, including Kashmir, in the parliament.