LAHORE, Oct 30: PML-N vice-president Tehmina Daultana says the arrest of ARD acting president Javed Hashmi on a letter issue shows that the letter is genuine.

At a press conference here on Thursday, she said had it been an ungenuine work, the military regime would not have reacted so sharply.

Hashmi was arrested on Wednesday for issuing to the media a week ago copies of a letter allegedly written by some army men and which carried a seal of the GHQ, demanding a probe into the Kargil episode and Oct 12, 1999, military takeover.

Analyzing and rejecting one by one the reasons mentioned in the case registered against Mr Hashmi, she said he did nothing wrong as being a public representative he had to bring out problems and issues relating to the people.

She said it was not the first incident; the general public as well as army officers had been writing to national leaders such letters in the past.

Vowing not to bow before military regime’s pressure tactics, she said her party leaders and workers were not afraid of going to jails. She regretted that MNA Hashmi was arrested without seeking permission from the National Assembly speaker as required under the law.

Tehmina said she would also release to the media if any such new letter was written to her.

Asked if her party would appoint a new acting president, she said no such decision was under consideration. “PML-N chairman Raja Zafarul Haq is there to lead the party, so there is no need to make any new appointment,” she said.

She said the central working committee would meet in Islamabad on Friday to decide the future line of action as directed by party’s patron Nawaz Sharif.

Answering a question, she apologized on behalf of her party for involving army into the affairs of Wapda, education and other departments.

“We have learnt a lesson and won’t repeat this mistake again,” she said.

Politicians: Leaders from various political parties have condemned the arrest of ARD president Javed Hashmi on treason charges.

MMA parliamentary leader Qazi Husain Ahmad said the arrest was against the privilege of the National Assembly which was in session at that time while a parliamentary delegation of the European Union was also visiting the country.

He said instead of Mr Hashmi the person who had written the letter should have been traced and arrested.

MMA vice-president Prof Sajid Mir said the action demonstrated that the country was still in the grip of a dictator.

PPP Senator Sajjad Bukhari said it was an act to suppress the voice of the elected representatives.

PPP Federal Council secretary general Khalid Kharal and Munir Ahmad Khan said sovereignty of parliament had been violated by the arrest which also vindicated the Commonwealth and the European Union views that democracy had not been fully restored in Pakistan.

Punjab PML-N president Zulfikar Khosa termed it state oppression and said the act was illegal like the presidency of Gen Pervez Musharraf.

Khwaja Saad Rafiq said imprisonment would not bar Hashmi from speaking the truth.

Awami Qiadat Party’s Muhammad Mehdi said it had negated Jamali’s statement in Iran that no politician had been imprisoned since he took over as prime minister last year.

ARD MEETING: A meeting of the chiefs of some ARD components here on Thursday condemned the arrest of the alliance president, Javed Hashmi.