KARACHI, April 3: The Sindh Chapter of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) staged a peaceful demonstration here on Tuesday and condemned General Pervez Musharraf’s filing of a reference against Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

Participants of the demonstration belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N), the Pakistan People’s Party, the Pakistan Democratic Party and others gathered at the Karachi Press Club and staged a protest demonstration. The Awami National Party (ANP) also joined in the demo on the invitation of the ARD.

The PPP’s participation in the demo was negligible as most of its leaders and workers were in Garhi Khuda Bux to attend the death anniversary of the party’s founding leader Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

Carrying banners and posters, the participants of the demonstration, including women, shouted anti-government slogans, demanding that General Musharraf resign. Enraged protesters also burnt an effigy of Gen Musharraf.

Terming General Musharraf as a security risk for the country, speakers condemned his unconstitutional act and demanded reinstatement of the chief justice forthwith and withdrawal of the presidential reference against him.

They observed that Pakistan was at a critical juncture and only a popular and genuine leadership could lead the country out of the crisis.

The speakers reiterated the demand of setting up of a neutral caretaker government of national consensus to hold free, fair and transparent general election in the country and that afterwards power be hand over to those elected by the people.

Sindh ARD president Zain Ansari, acting Sindh president PML-N Salim Zia, PPP’s Habibuddin Junedi, Shahi Syed of the ANP and other leaders spoke on the occasion.

Later, the demonstrators dispersed peacefully.