March 26, 2007	Monday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 6, 1428

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LAHORE, 25 March: The Punjab leaderships of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) have directed their workers to participate in the protest rallies being organised by the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy on Monday (today) to show solidarity with the cause of lawyers’ community.

At a news conference, Punjab MMA president Liaquat Baloch and the PTI provincial head Ahsan Rasheed said they had directed the workers to join the ARD rallies at provincial and district headquarters as part of their campaign to bring to an end the military rule in the country.

Baloch said despite the differences between the MMA and Pakistan People’s Party on certain national issues, the alliance leaders recognised the PPP struggle for a democratic rule in the country and, as such they had a common role. He said the MMA had always tried to unite all opposition parties on the minimum agenda of the restoration of democracy and the 1973 Constitution, independence of judiciary, transparent election and rule of law.

He said the military rule had exposed the country to a variety of dangers, and it was necessary for all democratic forces to get together and ensure that no military interventions took place in the future and a genuine democracy was established.

He said the ARD, the MMA and all other opposition forces were behind the lawyers’ democratic movement that was aimed at restoring a state institution in the country.

He said the country was virtually under a martial law where fundamental rights of the people stood suspended, political activists were being harassed and several people had gone missing. He understood that the situation was not comfortable even for the regime that was now reaching a conclusion that Pakistan should have a civilian rule.

Mr Baloch said Gen Musharraf was engaged in politics and had publicly thrown his weight behind the ruling party for which state machinery and resources were being used. On the other hand, he said, the opposition had been barred from holding `peaceful’ protest rallies through use of brute force.

He demanded the release of all opposition workers who were arrested during the recent protest rallies.