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

RAWALPINDI, June 24: The Awami Jamhoori Ittehad, an alliance of progressive political activists and intellectuals, has claimed that a vast majority of people wanted change, and warned that any attempt to sabotage the lawyers’ movement would result in political instability in the country.

Convener of the alliance Asim Sajjad, in a statement issued here on Tuesday, said participation of thousands of ordinary people in the ‘Long March’ proved that they were desperate for change. However, he regretted that there was no mainstream political force willing to take on the military establishment.

He said the parliament should be the most powerful institution in the country, but it must represent popular aspirations otherwise it would be subjected to public censure, adding that the parliament must act according to the mandate it got on February 18.

Mr Sajjad said the government as well as the leadership of the lawyers movement must understand how crucial the present juncture was in the context of the country’s chequered political history.

“They must not take any step to disappoint the public. The retreat of military establishment has been made possible since March 9, 2007.

“The military will once again derail the democratic process in case the lawyers movement is sabotaged,” he noted.

Mr Sajjad regretted that the parliament was not acting according to the public mandate and was still pursuing American imperialism, anti-people economic policies and military operations in NWFP and Balochistan.