LAHORE, July 29: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Mian Shahbaz Sharif has said the nation will not forgive those who are bargaining with the military dictatorship for power at the cost of the `martyrs’ blood’.

In a telephone address from London to the workers at a meeting at the Lahore Press Club on Sunday, Mr Sharif said the Supreme Court had given its verdict against a presidential reference against the chief justice of Pakistan and the “the dictatorship’s days are numbered and its last rites will be performed soon”. The meeting was held to observe the fifth death anniversary of PML-N worker Aftab Asghar Dar.

He said the movement spearheaded by lawyers for the independence of the judiciary, supremacy of the constitution and rule of law was joined by all opposition parties and civil society. People gave sacrifices for this noble cause.

The sacrifices given by the workers like Aftab Dar would not be forgotten.

“PML president Javed Hashmi has been in jail for the past four years and his sacrifice will bring about a democratic change in the country,” he said.

He said the nation had a right to question those who were trying to support and strengthen the dictator, if the people had given their sacrifices to strengthen the military rule in the country.

Former president Rafiq Tarrar who presided over the meeting urged all political parties to support the lawyers’ movement against the military dictatorship. He said people should come out to join the movement which would be continued till the end of dictatorship.

He paid tribute to Supreme Court judges who, according to him, gave their verdict for the independence of the judiciary “despite great pressure from the dictatorship”.

He said the judiciary had done its job and now it was the turn of parliament to take necessary measures for its own independence and supremacy of the constitution. He said the army whose foremost duty was to defend the country and save its people from aggression of their enemy had surrendered itself before the enemy and started killing its own people.

The meeting passed resolutions for the restoration of democracy, supremacy of the constitution and rule of law, immediate release of Hashmi and Dr Abdul Qadeer.

Other speakers included Begum Tehmina Daultana, Pervaiz Malik, Naseer Bhutta, Wali Muhammad Khan, Mahr Ishtiaq Ahmad, Zakia Shahid, Mian Javed Lateef, Rana Mashood Khan and Misbah Shujaur Rehman.

BALOCH: Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) Deputy Secretary-General Liaqat Baloch said on Sunday the ‘secret meeting’ of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairwoman Benazir Bhutto with President Pervez Musharraf in Abu Dhabi was an attempt to bailout the dictator after he was ‘totally isolated’.

Talking to journalists here, Baloch said the meeting was an attempt to undermine people’s victory in the chief justice case. He said the Supreme Court’s ruling in the chief justice case was a victory of the masses. “With this judgment, the military dictator stood isolated and paralysed as no national institution was ready to stand by him. The PPP chairwoman’s meeting with the general in this scenario is tantamount to placing this great victory at his threshold.”

The MMA leader said although Ms Bhutto’s move would damage the entire opposition, PPP would be the worst sufferer. He said the ‘meeting’ exposed why she stayed away from the London multi-party conference. However, he said the All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM) would continue its struggle for a real democratic system in Pakistan “with a complete peace of mind”. He said the APDM would not accept Musharraf with or without uniform and added that the opposition would consider a long march to Islamabad if he tries to get himself re-elected with uniform by force.

On the reopening of the Lal Masjid on Friday and its closure after clashes and a suicide attack nearby, Baloch said it was all planned by government agencies to close the mosque indefinitely and change its status. However, he said that people ‘foiled’ this plan and ‘refused’ to accept an officially appointed prayer leader. He said that Maulana Abdul Aziz had been leading prayers at the Lal Masjid for the last 40 years and people of the area were ‘not ready’ to accept anyone in his place. He demanded that all cases against Aziz be withdrawn and he be reappointed prayer leader at the mosque.