March 29, 2007	Thursday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 9, 1428

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LAHORE, March 28: Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi criticised the opposition parties on Wednesday for what he called `politicising’ the issue of Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry’s suspension, saying it was purely a constitutional matter.

Addressing a meeting of the PML parliamentary party ahead of the assembly session, he said the Supreme Judicial Council was the right forum to decide the matter, and every one should accept its verdict.

He said the government had pledged time and again that it would go by the decision to be given by the five-member SJC on the issue. After such a categorical assurance, he said, there was no justification for the opposition parties to politicise the matter or give protest calls.

He said the opposition parties had failed to bring the people on the streets. Now their ‘million man marches’ had been reduced to gatherings attended by a few hundred people, Mr Elahi said.

Since the people were not with the opposition, the ruling party lawyers did not come on the streets to counter the plans against the government, he said.

Referring to an attack on a private TV channel, the chief minister said it had not been planned by police. Had the police done so, the channel transmissions would not have continued uninterrupted, he argued.

He directed the ruling party legislators to seek guidance from the law minister about their role during the session.

The parliamentary party of Punjab chapter of the ruling PML termed the `failure’ of the strike call given by the opposition an expression of popular support for the government, our reporter adds.

Adopting a resolution moved by Punjab law and local government minister during its meeting held here on Wednesday under Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, the parliamentary party said by `rejecting’ the protest call by major opposition parties, the people had actually expressed their confidence in the leadership of Gen Musharraf and his development agenda.

On the occasion, Mr Elahi said the people had rejected opposition’s politics of agitation and proved that they wanted development process in the country to continue.

He said the government was implementing a number of public welfare projects, besides providing relief to the common man.

He said all the additional resources generated as a result of government’s economic policies were being utilised for providing relief to the people. New jobs were also being created due to rapid economic development, he added.

He said the party had emerged as a strong political force, claiming it would clean sweep the forthcoming general elections.

He called upon the legislators to prove their commitment to the people by ensuring their presence in the forthcoming session of the Punjab Assembly.