TAXILA, April 15: Opposition leaders have stressed the need for launching a “decisive and concerted movement against the present rulers and their hand-picked politicians to rid the country of massive corruption, inflation, price-hike, lawlessness, unemployment and poverty”.
A public gathering was organised by the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) leader and deputy parliamentary leader of PML-N in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan here on Sunday. Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan, PML-N Punjab President Zulfiqar Khosa and the party’s Punjab secretary-general, Raja Ishfaq Sarwar, addressed on the occasion.
The opposition leaders demanded free, fair and transparent elections under the supervision of an independent election commission.
They said the country was witnessing the worst period of its history as the lawyers had launched a massive movement for the rule of law.
They said: “We can defeat despots and their agents only through our unity, discipline and steadfastness. The rulers can not face real democratic forces because they have no legal or moral ground to rule the country.”
Imran Khan said rulers had pushed the country to the brink of anarchy, with the state institutions being completely paralysed.
He said action against the chief justice had sparked the lawyers’ community across the country against the government, which was facing the worst form of governance crisis.
He said the sole solution to the current crisis laid in formation of a national interim government and holding of fair and transparent elections.
He said the present rulers spent billions of rupees to protect their own interests and make foreign tours whereas every year 0.5 million children died after drinking polluted water in the country.
He said the society had been made secular in the name of enlightened moderation.
Speaking on the occasion, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said elements trying to go for a deal with rulers would suffer disgrace.
He alleged that the Musharraf-led government had already started rigging the elections. He said lawyers should continue their movement and praised the judges who resigned to protest the presidential reference against the CJP.
He condemned the arrest and harassment of PML-N workers by the police to prevent them from holding the public meeting.
PML-N Punjab President Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa said his party would ensure supremacy of the Constitution and would not allow Gen Musharraf to run for a third term as president.
He accused the president of running an election campaign for the ruling PML by addressing public gatherings ahead of the elections. PML-N MPA Abdul Ghafoor also spoke on this occasion.
