March 25, 2006	Saturday	Safar 24, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, March 24: People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) Senator Enver Baig on Friday lashed out at Gen Pervez Musharraf for attending and speaking at the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) convention in Lahore on Pakistan Day and condemned the ruling party for passing a resolution asking him to remain in the presidency wearing uniform.

In a statement, the PPP senator said that on the one hand, Gen Musharraf claimed that he wanted to hold free and fair elections in the country, on the other, he had become a party by attending the convention.

Mr Baig said it was “shameful” that the PML leaders, who considered them politicians, had asked the army chief to join their political party.

He said by attending the ruling party’s convention, Gen Musharraf had proved that the opposition was right and justified in claiming that free and fair elections were not possible under him.

The PPP senator said that Gen Musharraf should have visited the tombs of Quaid-i-Azam and Allama Iqbal on Pakistan Day instead of attending the PML convention. Moreover, he said, “the self-proclaimed president” of the country should have addressed the nation on this national day.

He said it was an opportunity for Gen Musharraf to tell the nation about his policies and the ongoing military operations in Balochistan and Waziristan.

Mr Baig said that perhaps Gen Musharraf did not want to visit the mausoleum of Quaid-i-Azam because he knew that the Father of the Nation was against any role of army in civil institutions.

Mr Baig also criticized Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz for not visiting the mausoleum of Quaid-i-Azam despite the fact he was in Karachi on the evening of March 23.

“Mr Aziz had enough time to attend the public meeting of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) but he could not spare time to visit the Quaid’s tomb,” he regretted.

The PPP leader said the time had come to launch a decisive struggle to oust the present rulers, who had plunged the whole nation into a deep crisis.

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