22 December 2004	Wednesday	09 Ziqa'ad 1425

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ISLAMABAD/KARACHI, Dec 21: Pakistan People's Party PPP has given a call for countrywide protests on Wednesday against police action and arrest of a large number of party activists in Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Karachi.

This was announced by PPP president and ARD Chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim at a press conference at the party's central secretariat soon after reaching Islamabad with Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday.

Mr Fahim also announced that the party would register an FIR against the officials of the government and police for violating the civil aviation and Iata rules by arresting Mr Zardari from inside the aircraft.

The ARD chairman said the opposition would also requisition sessions of the National Assembly and the Senate to raise the issue inside parliament. He said the party would also apprise the international human rights bodies and envoys of different countries in Islamabad about the whole situation.

Mr Fahim said the police action against peaceful party activists and workers had fully exposed what he called the drama of democracy, being staged by Gen Pervez Musharraf and his team.

He alleged that there was no rule of law in the country and the government had been victimising its opponents through the brutal use of police force. He said the Western countries should take note of what their 'favourite man' was doing to the political leadership of the country.

And in Karachi PPP leaders deplored the cancellation of bail of Mr Zardari and called it a serious blow to democratic dispensation. Addressing a news conference at the residence of the Sindh PPP chief, Syed Qaim Ali Shah the PPP's deputy secretary general Raza Rabbani said that the arrest of Mr Zardari had exposed the 'sham democracy'.

He condemned the manner in which PPP's elected representatives and activists had been baton charged and harassed in Punjab and in Karachi. He alleged that during overnight raids at the residence of many activists, police scaled walls of their homes and arrested relatives of missing PPP activist.

He criticised what he called the severe lathi-charge and tear-gassing at the Islamabad airport where a large number of PPP activists had gathered to welcome Mr Zardari. He termed it the worst form of state terrorism.

Syed Qaim Ali Shah lashed out at the government for resorting to mass arrests of the party cadre. He termed it government's nervousness and retreat in the face of mounting public pressure.

Mr Shah pointed out that just a day before the government had allowed the MMA permission to hold a protest rally and a meeting, but PPP's welcome rally was not allowed. He said that the cancellation of Mr Zardari's bail had brought the "cat out of the bag" and exposed the 'Conspiracy'.

Mr Shah said that in line with the party's federal level decision, protest rallies would also be held in each district of Sindh. He was accompanied by Nawab Yousuf Talpur, Mansoor Wasan, Fahmida Mirza, Sadiq Umrani and Rashid Rabbani. Senior politician Mairaj Mohammad Khan also condemned the re-arrest and said it would inflict serious blow to the democratic process and the government would be the looser.