June 09, 2008	Monday	Jamadi-us-Sani 04, 1429

HYDERABAD, June 8: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah said on Sunday that the government would not create any hurdle for the lawyers who wanted to take part in the June 10 long march.

The government believed in democratic norms and would not allow any undemocratic act against anyone. If lawyers desired to protest, they had the right to do this, the chief minister said while talking to newsmen at the Circuit House here before leaving for Mirpurkhas.

However, he emphasised the need for giving some time to the present democratically-elected government to settle issues. The workers of Pakistan People’s Party had always stood by lawyers in the struggle for the restoration of democracy and strengthening of democratic institutions, he said.

Soon after the formation of government, which came into power with the support of people, a deadline of 30 days was announced for the restoration of judges and the judiciary, he said.

The government was fully committed to the resolution of the issue so that people could get early and cheap justice from courts but it wanted to evolve consensus on the issue among all the stakeholders, which required some time, he explained.

All the forces including the PPP stood firm on the point of restoration of judges and they differed only on the procedure and modus operandi, which would also be settled shortly, Mr Shah said and added the PPP held dialogues with the representatives of lawyers and came up with the proposed constitutional package.

He made it clear that the party stood by the opinion of Benazir Bhutto on the judges’ issue. The proposed constitutional package was not a final document and it could be modified to make it acceptable to all with mutual understanding, which again required some time, he said.

Mr Shah said that the PPP wished that the leaders of all the political parties of the coalition government should sit together with the lawyers leaders and discuss the proposed constitutional package so that it could be tabled in the parliament with consensus.

To a question about his meeting with Hyderabad District Nazim Kanwar Naveed Jamil and District Naib Nazim Zaffar Rajput, the chief minister said that they briefed him about the development work being carried out in the district.

There was still room for more development in every nook and corner of the district. The government desired to provide maximum facilities to the people of Hyderabad, he said and added that he would approach the federal government and request it to reactivate Hyderabad Airport.—APP

DENIAL: A spokesman for the chief minister denied a section of news item, which quoted him as saying that long march would destablise the government, and clarified that Mr Shah had said that due to long march by lawyers, the government might be destabilized, reports our bureau.

An official handout said that the chief minister had not made such comment. Instead, he had appreciated the role of lawyers for the restoration of democracy and the restoration of 1973 constitution to its original shape.