KARACHI, Sept 21: Despite a police crackdown, participants of the rally organized by the All-Parties Democratic Movement (APDM) succeeded in staging a rally in front of the Sindh High Court building after Juma prayers.
The rally was organized by the opposition alliance’s Sindh chapter and most of the participants appeared to be leaders and supporters of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal.
It was held on a call given by the APDM’s central leadership for a countrywide protest against Gen Pervez Musharraf’s attempt to get himself re-elected from the present assembly and his recent act of forcing the PML-N chief, Mian Nawaz Sharif, to leave the country immediately after returning home on Sept 10 to end his exile.
After failing to put up any show of public mobilisation on the occasion of Nawaz Sharif’s return and subsequent banishment, a large number of the PML-N workers, along with the supporters of the MMA, Awami Tehrik, Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party, ANP, Tehrik-i-Insaf and PDP assembled in front of the SHC building and raised anti-government slogans. They were carrying flags of their respective parties, banners and placards inscribed with slogans against Gen Pervez Musharraf and his “illegal” actions.
Addressing the rally, leaders of various parties vowed to resist all attempts to perpetuate the “dispensation led by the military dictator” and the moves to retain Gen Musharraf as head of the state and military chief. They also poured scorn on the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, PML-Q and other parties supporting Gen Musharraf and his unconstitutional moves.
The participants repeatedly raised slogans against the MQM and the Sindh governor. “Have mercy on the nation and the army”, they shouted, and demanded that the armed forces go to the barracks.
A large number of the PML-N’s women workers also participated in the rally. They were carrying large portraits of Nawaz Sharif.
The acting-President of the PML-N, Sindh, Saleem Zia said that the nation would never allow a military dictator to rule over the country anymore, and reiterated his party’s resolve to restore a genuine democracy in the country from the platform of the APDM.
He said that APDM legislators would tender their resignations to block the general’s attempt to get himself re-elected as president from the present assemblies.
He announced that the alliance would also launch a countrywide movement to force the military dictator to step down and pave the way for a genuine democracy in the country.
Nehal Heshmi of the PML-N warned that his party workers would lay siege to the Saudi consulate in Karachi and hold protest demonstrations if the Saudi government did not allow Nawaz Sharif to return to Pakistan.
President of the Tehrik-i-Insaf, Sindh, Zubair Khan said time had come for the entire nation to take to the street along with the legal fraternity to force the armed forces to go back to the barracks.
”No patriotic citizen of the country will accept a uniformed president anymore,” he said, assailing the PML-Q leadership for helping the military ruler perpetuate his dictatorship.
Nasrullah Shaji of the MMA and Awami Tehrik leader Abdul Qadir Ranto also addressed the rally.
KARACHI, Sept 21: Despite a police crackdown, participants of the rally organized by the All-Parties Democratic Movement (APDM) succeeded in staging a rally in front of the Sindh High Court building after Juma prayers.
