LAHORE, May 17: The Pakistan People’s Party will make a token participation in the May 21 mixed marathon announced by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and the Joint Action Committee. This was stated by Punjab PPP Information Secretary Naveed Chaudhry at a briefing after a party’s provincial executive committee meeting held under the chairmanship of Qasim Zia on Tuesday.

The marathon organized by the HRCP a few days ago had been aborted by the police after which a new date was set for the sport.

Naveed Chaudhry said some party office-bearers and lawyers would take part in the marathon. He said the party had issued instructions to the district boards to prepare themselves for the local elections. The boards, he said, had also been asked to send recommendations to the party. The PPP would take part in the local polls from the “Awam Dost” platform.

The PPP, he said, had condemned Gen Musharraf’s decision to preside over a meeting of the ruling party. He said the PPP was of the view that Gen Musharraf should quit as president and assume the PML-Q’s chairmanship.

He said under the Constitution, the president was supposed to stay neutral. However, he said, he had violated the basic law on the basis of which a reference could be sent against him.

Naveed Chaudhry said ruling party leaders had expressed their reservations about the local elections, and the PPP was also of the view that instead of these elections the government should go for the general polls.

He disputed the government’s assertion that it could not go with the MMA. If the government was right in its claim, it should pull out of the coalition with the religious alliance. — Staff Reporter