LAHORE, Sept 5: The Punjab PPP has directed all its wings to make sure that the Friday strike —- call for which was given by the national leaders conference in Islamabad —- is a success. Leaders of various parties appealed to traders, businessmen and people at large to keep their shutters down and transport off road to express their support for opposition’s demands on different issues.

PPP leaders met under the chairmanship of Qasim Zia on Monday to discuss the situation and ways to get a positive response to the strike call.

Information secretary Naveed Chaudhry told a news conference that instructions had been issued to all wings to make the strike a success.

He alleged that the local elections were rigged at a large scale, and the election commission had failed to take any action on 260 complaints sent to it. He said even in Badin, Sindh, a TPO was transferred only a day before the elections, which was a violation of the code of conduct.

On the other hand, he said the government had broken the back of the common man by raising the fuel prices, which had a spiralling effect on the prices of essential items.

He demanded that Gen Musharraf should quit both as president and the army chief, and fresh elections be held. Also, he said, the Constitution be restored in its pre-coup shape.

Deputy information secretary Altaf Qureshi was also present at the news conference.