May 2, 2006	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 3, 1427

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KOHAT, May 1: Former law minister Syed Iftikhar Hussain Gilani has said that successive military coups in the country have cost the nation its sovereignty, whereas India enjoyed more respect due to its strong democratic system in the world today.

Talking to journalists at a dinner hosted by the brother of the provincial law minister Zafar Azam, Gilani termed the parliament a rubber stamp calling up on the masses to wake up and overthrow the illegal ruler as had been done by the people of a small country like Nepal.

He held the military responsible for all economic, political, and social evils which ruled the country against the wishes of the people for more than 23 years and plundered its resources.

He said that political forces can not flourish in Pakistan unless the military is made answerable to the parliament. But keeping in view the role of the political leaders in the past the job had to be done by the masses if they want justice, peace and economic prosperity.

He asked President Gen Pervez Musharraf to shed uniform and let the people decide through fair elections whether they want military rule or a political one.

He termed the 1999 takeover as a shameful act where a democratically elected government was removed by the army.

He said that the prime minister and the president brought immense disgrace to the country when they were not allowed to receive the US president at the Chaklala airport which was completely taken over by foreign law-enforcement agencies.