22 April 2005	Friday	12 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1426

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ISLAMABAD, April 21: The People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) legislators on Thursday staged a sit-in outside the Supreme Court building to protest against the arrests and manhandling of a large number of party workers and leaders on the arrival of Asif Zardari in Lahore on April 16.

Soon after staging a walkout from the National Assembly, the PPP MNAs marched towards the Supreme Court building in groups of five persons to avoid violation of Section 144.

Opposition leader in the Senate Mian Raza Rabbani, Senator Enver Baig and Senator Dr Abdullah Riar also joined the protesting MNAs and marched with them.

The PPP legislators were carrying party flags and raising slogans of ‘Go Musharraf Go, Long live democracy, Release PPP workers, Say no to dictatorship, Make courts independent and Prime minister Benazir’.

Some of the lawmakers were carrying black flags to mark the protest over the detention of PPP workers.

Speaking on the occasion, PPP Secretary-General Raja Pervez Ashraf said the government had manhandled the party activists and leaders under a planned move. He also condemned the police action against the journalists at Lahore airport.

He said they were ready to go to jails and if any one had the courage, they should arrest them.

MNA Aitzaz Ahsan said the march from the Parliament House to the Supreme Court building was symbolic as they wanted the judiciary to play its role.

He said in any civilized country, gathering of such a large number of parliamentarians on the road created ripples in the ranks of a government.

Mr Ahsan said the purpose of holding the march was to highlight the double standards of the government.