15 April 2005	Friday	04 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1426

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LAHORE, April 14: Claiming that more than 15,000 of its leaders and workers have been arrested, the PPP directed its supporters on Thursday to defy all restrictions to reach Lahore airport to receive Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday. Punjab PPP President Qasim Zia said at a news conference in the presence of many other leaders that the police should not carry out the illegal orders of the government.

He said the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan was being kept abreast of the highhandedness of the government, and a number of foreign envoys would be in the city on Saturday to see for themselves how the rulers were denying the PPP what he said its fundamental right.

Qasim said raids were being conducted at the houses of important party leaders, and it appeared as if the rulers were trying to push the country into anarchy.

Showing copies of the applications he had submitted to the home secretary and the district Nazim to seek permission for the party to receive Zardari on Saturday, Qasim said now the government was left with no justification to prevent the party supporters from reaching the airport. He said these applications had been duly received by the two offices.

In the applications, the PPP has sought permission to hold a rally from the airport to Data Darbar as was granted to the MMA.

Taj Haider, Altaf Qureshi, Sherry Rehman, Munawwar Anjum, Dr Fahmida Mirza, Naveed Chaudhry, Matloob Inquilabi, Farzana Raja, Faiza Malik, Azma Zahid Bukhari, Waqar Mehdi and Iqbal Sialvi were also present.

Munawwar Anjum said the government was pursuing a policy of confrontation, but the PPP would not be intimidated.

Naveed Chaudhry said thousands of PPP supporters had been arrested and raids were being carried out at the houses of others. Where the wanted leaders were not available, other family members were being harassed, he alleged.

He said the government would not be able to stop PPP supporters from reaching the airport, no matter what tactics it used.

Dr Fahmida Mirza lashed out at the government for cancelling the trains which were to bring the PPP supporters from Sindh. She said the government was promoting inter-provincial disharmony through its actions.

Taj Haider said the PPP had given an assurance to the government that the reception would be completely peaceful. However, he said now the matter had gone out of the control of leaders and the workers would act according to the requirements of the situation. He said the responsibility of all what took place on Saturday would rest with the government.

The PPP leader said the government still had time to keep the atmosphere conducive.

MNA Sherry Rehman alleged that the government was following double standards by facilitating the MMA’s marches and denying permission to the PPP. She said it was strange that in spite of this duality and declining permission to a party to use its fundamental right, the government claimed that it was in favour of ‘enlightened moderation’.