August 04, 2007	Saturday	Rajab 19, 1428

LONDON, Aug 3: Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif joined scores of party workers at their office here on Friday to celebrate the Supreme Court order to release on bail Acting PML-N president Javed Hashmi from jail.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Nawaz Sharif paid rich tributes to Javed Hashmi for his struggle and sacrifice in the fight against dictatorship.

He said the Supreme Court order was a “victory for truth and justice” and a “defeat of dictatorship”.

According to a press release issued by the PML-N international headquarters, the PML-N chief said that inshaAllah Pakistan would recover and become a prosperous country as there were now visible signs that it had been put on the correct path.

He said all credit must be given to the lawyers’ community of Pakistan, the civil society and the judiciary for standing up against the might of a military dictator.

He lamented the fact that although the judiciary, the media, the civil society and the intelligentsia had become one, the political parties were divided.

He, however, vowed to carry on his efforts to bring all the parties on a common platform.

PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif also spoke on the occasion and termed Javed Hashmi’s sacrifice as “a matter of pride for the PML-N”.

Those present included Begum Najma Hameed, Mehboob Ali Khan, Ch Jaffer Iqbal, Rana Riaz ul Hasan Sabir, Begum Ishrat Ashraf, Pervaiz Rashid, Mushahid Ullah Khan, Kh Saad Rafique, Nadir Chaudhri, Nasir Butt, Peter John Salhotra, Zubair Gul and Ch Mohammad Riaz.