August 08, 2008	Friday	Sha’aban 5, 1429

LAHORE, Aug 7: Two main political alliances have welcomed the declaration made public by PPP co-chairperson Asif Zardari and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif announcing impeachment of President Musharraf.

Terming the declaration a historic decision, Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) information secretary and PPP foreign liaison committee Munir Ahmad Khan said Musharraf now had no legal or moral justification to stay any longer in the presidency.

All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM) leader Liaquat Baloch and Jamaat-i-Islami secretary-general Munawwar Hasan say President’s impeachment is a need of the hour but to make the exercise result-oriented immediate restoration of pre-emergency judiciary is also necessary.

Making the reinstatement of judges as second priority, they assert, makes the strategy vague.

They said in separate statements that restoring the judges after the impeachment was like putting horse behind the cart.

They demanded time-frame for the impeachment as lack of it was giving birth to many questions.

Baloch regretted that leaders of the ruling alliance did not make a clear and unambiguous announcement despite holding talks for three days.