June 25, 2008	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 20, 1429

HYDERABAD, June 24: Hyderabad district PML-N president Afzal Gujjar has said that the Lahore High Court judgment, disqualifying Nawaz Sharif for contesting by-election, is an insult to people of the country because he is the most popular leader of Pakistan.

Mr Gujjar was speaking at a protest rally that was taken out here on Monday night following announcement of the LHC verdict on an election petition against Mr Sharif. The participants of the rally took a round of the city and raised slogans against the government and ‘PCO judges.’

Mr Gujjar said that people knew who had become a tool of dictatorship and why despite having clear mandate as a result of February 18 elections, the deposed judges, including Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, were not being reinstated.

Pakistan Muslim League local leader Sultan Shaikh said that certain forces were still playing their game. He termed the verdict a joke with 160 million people of the country and said that the people loved Mr Sharif who did not need a certificate from ‘PCO judges.’

In Nawabshah, PML-N activists staged a demonstration outside the local press club on Tuesday to protest against the decision of the LHC.

The protesters carried banners and placards and raised slogans against President

Pervez Musharraf and ‘PCO judges.’ They also burnt an effigy of the president and tyres.—Dawn Report