December 29, 2007	Saturday	Zilhaj 18, 1428

LAHORE, Dec 28: The Punjab government denied permission to Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Aitzaz Ahsan to attend the funeral of former premier Benazir Bhutto.

“We had sent an application to the (Punjab) home secretary on Thursday through jail superintendent to allow Aitzaz to attend the funeral,” said Shaukat Ali Javed, an associate of the detained SCBA head, while talking to Dawn. He said that he had been waiting all day long for a reply but did not get any.

He said the home secretary, who was the detaining authority, had the power to relax Aitzaz’s detention to allow him to attend the funeral.

He said being a member of the Central Executive Committee of the PPP, Aitzaz should have been allowed to proceed to Garhi Khuda Bux.

PAT: The Pakistan Awami Tehrik has decided to confer the title of Martyr of Democracy on former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in view of her commendable services for the cause of democracy, announcing seven-day mourning on her death.

The decisions were taken at a meeting of the Tehrik executive committee held here on Friday with Rahiq Ahmed Abbasi in chair.

Addressing the meeting telephonically from Canada, PAT Chairman Dr Tahirul Qadri termed Benazir’s assassination murder of democracy, and added it was result of the most heinous conspiracy against the federation.