17 January 2005	Monday	06 Zilhaj 1425

LAHORE, Jan 16: ARD Deputy Information Secretary Munir Ahmad Khan said on Sunday the US must remember that dictatorship bred terrorism and should not support an army dictator against democracy in Pakistan.

Speaking at a press conference here, he criticized the US support for Gen Musharraf and said: "If the experience of a president-in-uniform is so successful in war on terror then Americans should follow the suit and give their army chief additional office of president.

Their political parties and relevant institutions must benefit themselves from the successes of Gen Musharraf in war on terror and appoint their army chief as the president," he sarcastically suggested.

He said lack of democracy caused problems to the whole world and not a specific country or region. Mr Khan reminded the European Union and C'wealth that Gen Musharraf had promised them as well as his own nation that he would take off his uniform by Dec 31, 2004.

The two world forums and other world powers must take notice of this breach of promise, which they should not ignore for their petty interests. Referring to the recently released report of the Human Rights Watch, he said it had exposed tall claims of good governance by the government.

The ARD leader also denied the claims of Irshad Hassan Khan, who has just retired from the office of the chief election commissioner, that the judiciary had restored democracy in the country.

It was the Supreme Court that had declared army coup legal and granted it three years for ruling the country and the CEC was the chief justice at that time, he said.

He alleged that high frequency of army coups was due to the judiciary, which always granted it legal cover under the "law of necessity." He said the former CEC had held the referendum that had been declared sham by world media, while during 2002 general election there had been record rigging.

He demanded that impartial and neutral person should be appointed as the new CEC after consulting the ARD and other national political forces. The ARD leader regretted that cannons were being erected in Balochistan and helicopters and planes were being moved to nearest stations for "killing" innocent people there.

Replying to a question, he said he did not see cooperation with the ruling PML in the existing assemblies. The alliance with the PML was possible only in case new elections were held.

Asked if replacement of the incumbent PML leadership could change the proposition, he said as the PML was a grouping and not a party in the real sense, it would melt away with a change. "There are only two parties, the PPP and the PML-N, which enjoy support of the masses," he said.