May 3, 2005	Tuesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 23, 1426

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ISLAMABAD, May 2: PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari on Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking to get quashed cases registered against workers of his party arrested on the eve of his arrival in Lahore from Dubai. “We always knock the doors of justice to redress grievances,” Senator Farooq Naek told reporters while filing a petition before the apex court on behalf of Asif Zardari.

Around 500 to 600 workers were still languishing in different jails of the country facing criminal cases under anti-terrorist act, he regretted. “We have also requested the court to fix the matter for Thursday,” he said.

A senior officer of the court told Dawn that the petitioner had been asked to re-submit a few documents which were not legible.

In his petition, Mr Zardari has pleaded release of party workers and quashing of cases registered against them.

The federal and Punjab governments, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvaiz Ellahi have been named as respondents.

Asif Zardari has requested the apex court to declare the registration of cases under Anti-Terrorism Act and MPO Ordinance as illegal. He has also requested the court to restrain the respondents from issuing in future orders aimed at curbing political activities in future.

On April 16, 2005, party workers from all the provinces and Azad Kashmir tried to assemble at the Lahore airport to welcome him, Mr Zardari contended. He said the government had been informed in advance about a peaceful gathering of people at the airport. The mood was festive and the people had the directions and instructions to remain peaceful, he added.

He said the respondents had used state apparatus to stop the gathering.