February 25, 2008	Monday	Safar 17, 1429

NAROWAL, Feb 24: Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) deputy amir Liaquat Baloch has said that the judiciary could not become free and independent unless Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and other superior courts judges sacked under the Nov 3 Provisional Constitution Order (PCO) were reinstated.

The JI leader also demanded that President Pervez Musharraf should quit now as the people had shown their distrust over him.

Talking to reporters here on Sunday, Baloch, who is also a former MNA, welcomed the mandate people had given to the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Awami National Party (ANP) in the Feb 18 general elections.

Now it is their duty to be very clear on the issues confronting the nation and they should now fulfil their promises including the restoration of the judiciary to the pre-PCO position, the former MMA leader added.

He said that American interference in forming the government in Pakistan tantamount to insulting the mandate masses had given to the political parties.

Baloch said it was unfortunate that the people had given the right to take key decisions regarding the future of the country to the winning political parties but the Presidency and the United States government were trying to enforce the American agenda.

He said that Musharraf was not a constitutional president, rather he was a usurper, therefore, he should quit immediately otherwise the people would take to streets to show their displeasure.

The former MNA expressed his satisfaction over coalition between the PPP and the PML-N for forming governments in Centre and the provinces. Baloch also praised the PML-N’s clear-cut stand on restoration of the judiciary to pre-Nov 3 PCO position.