April 17, 2008	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 10, 1429

HYDERABAD, April 16: Jamat-i-Islami Naib Ameer Prof Ghafoor Ahmed has demanded of the government to restore pre-Nov 3 judiciary and send Attorney-General Malik Qayyum packing.

Speaking at a news conference at the press club here on Wednesday, he suggested the government to give top priority to control rampant lawlessness in the country, specially in Sindh, and take effective measures to reduce prices of essential consumer items.

He said that President Musharraf, who had taken the oath to defend the constitution as chief of army staff, not only violated the constitution but carried out a number of amendments to perpetuate the rule of one man over the country.

Prof Ahmed said that with the victory of PPP, PML-N and ANP a new era has started and the people have pinned their hopes that this alliance would resolve their problems without any delay.

He welcomed the Murree declaration by the three coalition partners and expressed the hope that the sacked judges of superior judiciary would be restored within 30 days.

He said Hyderabad was the second biggest and important metropolis of Sindh after Karachi and added that MQM had emerged victorious in Hyderabad and Karachi in the general elections.

Not only this but both the city district governments of Karachi and Hyderabad were in the hands of MQM, Prof Ahmed said and added that people expected that MQM would be instrumental in restoring peace and order in these two cities.

He, however, said that lawlessness had become the order of the day in the urban areas where people were being looted and killed even if some one resisted the snatching of a mobile phone. He said no one was safe in Sindh specially in Karachi and Hyderabad.He said PPP had taken the initiative and Asif Ali Zardari himself had visited 90 and everything was forgotten and forgiven and it was hoped that MQM would join the Sindh government.

If the MQM remains adamant to sit on the opposition benches even then, it could play a very important role, he said and added that it could put a brake on any unpopular legislation that might be tabled by the PPP.

He said the country was facing innumerable economic and political crisis. He said on the one hand, the prices of kitchen items had skyrocketed and wheat flour had become scarce in the market while on the other neither the growers were being paid adequate prices for their crops nor the government was purchasing wheat from the farming community.

He said even a salaried person drawing Rs10,000 per month could not make both ends meet. The first priority of the government should be to control lawlessness and reduce prices of kitchen items, the Jamat-i-Islami leader said.

Paying tribute to late Z.A.Bhutto for his political acumen and statesmanship, Prof Ahmed said that the 1973 constitution which had been totally distorted by the dictator was a consensus document which had guaranteed provincial autonomy.

He, however, regretted that the federating units were denied provincial autonomy for too long which had created a sense of deprivation among the provinces. He said the provincial autonomy should be restored without any further delay.

He expressed the hope that the PPP would avoid political victimisation of its opponents and continue on its avowed commitment of reconciliation. He failed to understand why Malik Qayyum, who he termed a controversial figure, was still occupying the chair of the Attorney-General, and demanded of the government to immediately replace him.