KARACHI, March 23: As part of its countrywide protest, the Sindh Chapter of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy will stage protest rallies across the province on March 26 (Monday) to condemn the unconstitutional action taken by the government against the independence of the judiciary and media.

This was announced by Sindh ARD President Zain Ansari in a press conference held here on Friday. Syed Qaim Ali Shah of Pakistan Peoples Party and representatives of other ARD component parties were also present.

A meeting between former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif in London on Thursday decided that the ARD will observe a countrywide protest on March 26 on district-wise basis.

Mr Ansari, who is a leader of PML–N, said that in Karachi the ARD’s protest rally would be taken out from Regal Chowk to the Karachi Press Club, where alliance leaders would address participants. Likewise, he said, the ARD would also organize rallies in all district headquarters in Sindh to lodge their protest against the regime’s actions.

He strongly condemned the policies of General Pervez Musharraf and observed that the current judicial crisis relates to all people of Pakistan, not just the legal fraternity or judiciary alone.

He said the ARD would fully support the struggle of lawyers and would continue struggling till the present government is removed and the judiciary and media are completely independent. PPP leader Rashid Rabbani said that all political parties in the ARD would fully participate in the protest rallies.