PESHAWAR/BATKHELA: Awami National Party central secretary information Senator Zahid Khan has said that departure of former president Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf abroad was ‘not good omen’ for the country.

In a statement issued here on Friday, he said that courts always ‘provided’ relief to dictators and laws were framed only to ‘try’ helpless people. He said the government should go into appeal against the court’s decision.

He said that article 6 of the constitution could not be applied against Musharraf after he was provided relief to go abroad for seeking ‘medical treatment’. He said the constitution protected parliament while verdicts of the courts ‘strengthened’ dictatorship and ‘weakened’ democracy.

Senator Zahid said that democratic forces would continue struggle for supremacy of law and parliament. He said ANP would play its role for strengthening institutions and would never compromise on its ‘principled’ stand.

Meanwhile, workers of Pakistan People’s Party took out a protest rally in Batkhela, Malakand against the government for ‘allowing’ former president to go abroad.

The party’s provincial general secretary Humayun Khan led the protest rally which started from the bus stand and culminated at the press club. They were chanting slogans against the government and former president.

On the occasion, the speakers said the government gave safe passage to the former dictator who was ‘involved’ in the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, killing of students of seminaries and tribal people. They also criticised the courts’ verdicts which facilitated Musharraf to leave the country.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2016