KARACHI, April 18: Leaders of the Pakistan People’s Party chose the platform of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy on Wednesday to dismiss reports of having struck a deal with the regime, declaring that General Pervez Musharraf won’t be acceptable as president in or without uniform.
The ARD, Sindh chapter, observed a token hunger strike outside the Karachi Press Club on Wednesday — the fifth day of the hearing of a presidential reference against Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry — to express solidarity with the country’s top judge.
ARD workers reached the press club at about 11:30am to observe the token hunger strike. They raised slogans for the supremacy of the judiciary and demanded that General Musharraf quit. A number of lawyers, including the president and secretary of the Karachi Bar Association, also visited the camp.
The reports of a possible deal of PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto with General Musharraf perturbed the workers of other component parties of the alliance, particularly the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.
A clear rift among the workers of the two major parties was witnessed when their workers formed separate groups and raised slogans vowing to make their respective party heads future prime minister.
This forced the PPP leadership to reject all reports about the deal.
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Mian Raza Rabbani, who is also the deputy secretary-general of the PPP, made it clear that the PPP would not accept General Musharraf as president.
He said the propaganda was an attempt to divide the opposition and declared that the PPP would never take an unconstitutional step.
Sindh ARD President Zain Ansari observed that the restoration of true democracy was the only way to save the country. He also said former prime minister Nawaz Sharif would definitely return to the country.
Qaim Ali Shah of the PPP demanded an immediate withdrawal of the presidential reference and the CJP’s reinstatement. He said the rulers would not succeed in dividing the opposition.
Salim Zia of the PML-N said people would continue their struggle till the removal of the unconstitutional and illegal government of General Musharraf.
KBA President Iftikhar Javaid Qazi said people from Karachi to Khyber fully supported the lawyers’ movement for the independence of the judiciary.
Representatives of the Pakistan Democratic Party, Mohajir Qaumi Movement, PML-Qayyum, Muttahida Ulema Forum and other parties in the alliance were also present.
