November 04, 2007	Sunday	Shawwal 22, 1428

BAHAWALPUR, Nov 3: Punjab PML-N president Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa has condemned the declaration of emergency in the country.

Addressing a press conference at the residence of provincial PML joint secretary Saood Majeed Chaudhry here on Saturday, Mr Khosa said the PML and other opposition parties would react strongly against the government for suspending fundamental rights of the people.

He said his party would shortly meet to express and record its protest over the new situation arising out of clamping down of the emergency.

Component parties of the APDM, he said, would also react sharply over the enforcement of emergency at this critical juncture when the country was moving ahead for the general elections.

MULTAN: Political circles of south Punjab have condemned President General Pervez Musharraf for imposing emergency and demanded that he resign as president as well as army chief immediately.

Talking to Dawn, veteran politician Mir Balkh Sher Mazari said imposition of emergency was unfortunate for the country. He said politicians were equally responsible for the prevailing crisis. He said non-political powers were interfering in the country’s affairs and politicians preferred personal interests to national interests.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Acting President Makhdoom Javed Hashmi said his party would begin a movement against the emergency.

Pakistan People’s Party leader Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani said his party would resist the decision.

Nawabzada Mansoor Khan said imposition of emergency was illegal because Pakistan was not facing a calamity.

Syed Fakhar Imam said imposition of emergency was unconstitutional, adding all political parties should come forward to fight such ‘unconstitutional acts’.

Seraikistan Qaumi Movement President Hameed Asghar Shaheen said imposition of emergency was a suicide attack by the rulers that would have a boomerang effect. He said Benazir Bhutto was part of this conspiracy against the county. He demanded that Gen Musharraf resign as president and army chief immediately.

Pakistan Traders Alliance Chairman Khwaja Muhammad Shafique said traders could give a strike call against the imposition of emergency.

District Bar Association President Muhammad Akram Bhatti and Lahore High Court Multan Bar General-Sectary Rana Naveed Ahmed said lawyers would start taking out rallies and demonstrations against the imposition of emergency from Monday.

KHANEWAL: Leaders of the PPP and PML-N have termed the imposition of emergency an unconstitutional and unlawful decision of Gen Pervez Musharraf.

PPP’s mainstream leader and former National Assembly speaker Syed Fakhar Imam said: “It is an unconstitutional decision of Gen Musharraf and there is no need of taking such a decision”.

PML-N leader and former provincial minister Haji Irfan Ahmad Khan Daha said that Gen Musharraf only wanted to prolong his tenure by hook or by crook. He said the PML would not accept the undemocratic step of the army chief.

PPP district president Javaid Hashmi and secretary-general Shabbir Mirza described the decision as a deep-routed conspiracy against the nation.

MUZAFFARGARH: District Bar Association’s Zubaidul Islam Sherwani said the army had `conquered’ the country once again.

He said lawyers would follow the decision of the Punjab Bar Council and the Pakistan Bar Council.

PPP leader Mian Mohsin Qureshi, husband of PPP MNA Khalida Qureshi, said the party’s district leadership was waiting for the instructions from the Punjab leadership.

Anjuman Tajran President Syed Tahir Shah said traders were divided on the issue of emergency as some said it was necessary because of increasing incidents of suicide bombings while others said it was against the interests of the country.