APDM lawmakers to resign on 29th: Decision to launch countrywide struggle
By Ahmed Hassan
ISLAMABAD, Sept 21: Legislators of the All Parties Democratic Movement will quit national and provincial assemblies on Sept 29 as part of the alliance’s plan to foil President Gen Pervez Musharraf’s bid to get re-elected in uniform from the present assemblies.
The alliance also decided at its meeting held here on Friday to launch a countrywide struggle from Sept 30.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, Pakistan Muslim League-N chairman Raja Zafarul Haq said the alliance would hold a protest demonstration outside the Supreme Court building on Monday when the court would resume hearing of petitions challenging the holding of two offices by the president.
He said a sit-in would be staged outside offices of the Election Commission on Sept 27, the date for filing of nomination papers for the presidential election. From Sept 30, he said, parties in the APDM would hold daily demonstrations all over the country.
Leaders of the APDM said they had been in touch with MMA secretary-general Maulana Fazlur Rehman and claimed that he had backed all decisions taken by the alliance in two meetings held in his absence.
The meeting criticised the announcement of the election schedule when petitions against the president’s dual offices were pending before the Supreme Court.
The superior judiciary, the meeting claimed, was under administrative pressure and opposition parties would provide it moral support by holding demonstrations.
Answering a question, Mr Haq said that although the government was exerting pressure on the Supreme Court, the opposition would accept the judgment of the apex court.
The meeting condemned what it alleged veiled threats given to the Supreme Court by government emissaries.
Parliamentarians of the parties in the APDM will hold separate meetings in Islamabad and the four provinces on Sept 26 to collect resignations from their lawmakers.
APDM leaders will hold their next meeting on Oct 8, two days after the presidential poll, to chalk out their future plan.
When asked if the APDM would try to persuade the Pakistan People’s Party to support its plan to block the president’s re-election, Raja Zafar said: “It depends on Benazir Bhutto to decide whether to side with the opposition.”
Answering a question, Qazi Hussain Ahmed said that in accordance with the APDM decision, the MMA would dissolve its government in the NWFP and withdraw its support from the Balochistan government.
Another MMA leader, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed of the JUI-F, said he had requested Maulana Fazl to return home before Sept 23.
He said Maulana Fazl had endorsed all decisions of the APDM taken at its previous meeting and he would certainly support what had been decided on Friday.
Answering a question about the superior judiciary, Raja Zafar said: “We expect the judiciary to fulfil its constitutional obligations but we also believe that it is under tremendous pressure from the administration.” He said demonstrations held outside the Supreme Court building on Friday were aimed at strengthening the hands of Supreme Court judges.
“These demonstrations are in continuation of earlier protests held in support of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry,” Qazi Hussain added.
Besides Qazi Hussain and Raja Zafar, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Imran Khan, Asfandyar Wali Khan, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, Mian Aslam, Ahsan Iqbal, Zahid Khan and other leaders attended the meeting.
