KARACHI: Govt accused of following ‘divide & rule’ policy
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, May 8: The leader of the Opposition in Sindh Assembly, Nisar Ahmad Khuhru, has accused the rulers of pursuing the policy of divide and rule to perpetuate their autocratic rule.
The PPP leader pointed out that a new situation had developed in Sindh after the visit of General Musharraf. He said on one hand the state machinery was being used against those who were raising voice against price-hike, unemployment and street crimes and other national issues. On the other hand, he said the allied parties of the government had now adopted confrontational attitude against lawyers.
This situation, the PPP leader warned, would create situation similar to the East-Pakistan when people were pitted against each other. He reminded that former dictator General Yahya Khan used brutal force against unarmed Bengalis with the help of his supporters that ultimately led to the disintegration of the country.
Mr Khuhro said that General Musharraf’s supporters being on his pay-roll were bent upon playing the same role and they had started media trial against the Chief Justice of Pakistan and judiciary.
However, he warned that the people of Pakistan were now fully aware of the Musharraf’s designs and they would not allow him to succeed. Mr Khuhro also condemned the forcible closure of broadcasts of some TV channels and closure of shops and business establishments, saying “these acts clearly shows the autocratic trends of the rulers”.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan People’s Party has welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court of Pakistan for staying the proceedings of the Supreme Judicial Council and termed it a good omen for the establishment of an independent judiciary.
A meeting of the PPP Karachi division held here also slammed the prime minister’s threat for imposing emergency in the country. The meeting took the threat as admission of defeat of the government and its total failure.
Presided over by the party provincial chief Syed Qaim Ali Shah, the meeting decided to accord a warm welcome to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikar Mohammad Chaudhry, when he arrives on May 12 and reaffirmed that the people of Karachi and PPP workers would express their solidarity with the ongoing struggle of lawyers for the restoration of the integrity of the judiciary.
It also pledged that the present mass movement would continue till the removal of the present rulers. The meeting was addressed by party leaders which included Provincial Information Secretary Nafees Siddiqui, president Karachi division Rashid Rabbani, MPA Rafiq Engineer.
The PPP leaders declared that the party was fully prepared to give a rousing welcome to the CJP according to the traditions of Sindh.
They lauded the role of lawyers for establishment of an independent judiciary and for the restoration of democracy and assured them party’s full support to the movement.
A number of resolutions were also adopted in the meeting condemning frequent load-shedding in the city and other parts of the province, saying it had made life miserable for common man.
A resolution also condemned the manhandling of opposition members including women in the City Council by the ruling Haq Parast members of the council.
Through another resolution, the meeting also condemned an ally party of the government for closing the broadcasts of some TV channels including GEO, ARY and Aaj by force and termed the act an attack on press freedom and called for action against those who were responsible.
The meeting was attended by the party’s Karachi division officials including Mirza Maqbool, Raja Razak, Farid Ansari Sajid Jokio, Khowaja Mohammad Awan, Qasim Baloch and others.
