HYDERABAD, Sept 9: People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) MNA Aitzaz Ahsan has said that the army was not capable of imposing a martial law in the country as soldiers were being prevented from visiting civilian areas in uniform or moving about in official vehicles. “The army is getting squeezed into cantonments,” he said.

Talking to journalists here after an award was conferred on him for serving democracy by the Haji Abdullah Haroon memorial society late on Saturday night, Mr Ahsan said he was not privy to the talks between PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto and President Gen Pervez Musharraf and there would be no deal.

He believed that Ms Bhutto would not strike an agreement against the aspirations of people as it would come at a high cost for the party. He disagreed with a questioner that there would be a confrontation between the government and the apex court as a result of frequent suo motu actions, adding that the Supreme Court was giving its judgements based on the Constitution.

He avoided commenting on the presidential re-election, saying that he had been appointed as amicus curiae in a case.

He said the aims and objectives of the lawyers’ movement were quite clear. He said that every constitutional and legal method would be employed and if need be lawyers would take to the streets in protest.

Earlier, speaking at the award ceremony, he said the lawyers’ struggle would lead to the establishment of a national welfare state in the country instead of the current national security state.

Referring to the judicial struggle, Mr Ahsan said that everyone remembered the 24-hour journey from Islamabad to Lahore on May 4 and 5 but he considered the April 14 and 15 as most significant dates in the movement that emboldened him and other members of the chief justice’s legal team members.

“We were getting disappointed initially. Then came April 14 and 15 and the presence of two sitting high court judges in Sukkur on April 14 followed by appearance of 15 judges in Hyderabad on April 15 coupled with historic receptions that changed the whole situation,” said Mr Ahsan said. “It was a turning point,” he said.

He recounted events from May 9 when chief justice was suspended till July 20 when he stood reinstated by a 13-member bench.