APDM to resume boycott campaign

Published January 2, 2008

ISLAMABAD, Jan 1: The All Parties’ Democratic Movement (APDM) has announced that it is resuming its campaign for boycott of the coming election.

APDM convener Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Jamaat-i-Islami Qazi Hussain Ahmed said at a news conference after a meeting here on Tuesday that the movement had decided to include the option of calling for a march on Islamabad as part of the campaign against President Pervez Musharraf’s rule.

The APDM criticised Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leader Nawaz Sharif for taking a decision of boycotting the election and then reversing it within three days.

The alliance’s leaders expressed shock and sorrow over the decision of the Pakistan People’s Party and the PML-N to take part in the election at this juncture said the APDM would do its best to foil the ‘illegitimate’ process.

The Tehrik-i-Istiqlal led by Asghar Khan has also decided to join the APDM.

The meeting was attended, among others, by Rasool Bakhsh Paleejo, Abid Hasan Minto, Abdur Rahim Mandokhel and Hamid Khan.

The APDM leaders said it was time for the opposition parties to gather on a platform to demand Gen (retd) Musharraf’s resignation, formation of a national government and fair and free election under an independent election commission.

They said a just investigation into the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto could not be held under the president.

Mr Achakzai said the APDM was determined to take forward its agenda of getting the sacked judges reinstated, removing President Musharraf and transfer of power to a genuinely elected party or alliance.

The MMA chief said the charter of demands prepared by the APDM and the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy still remained the basis of cooperation among all the opposition parties.

He the APDM would continue its efforts for national consensus aimed at ousting the president and transfer of power to elected representatives of the people.

Opinion

Editorial

Wheat price crash
Updated 20 May, 2024

Wheat price crash

What the government has done to Punjab’s smallholder wheat growers by staying out of the market amid crashing prices is deplorable.
Afghan corruption
20 May, 2024

Afghan corruption

AMONGST the reasons that the Afghan Taliban marched into Kabul in August 2021 without any resistance to speak of ...
Volleyball triumph
20 May, 2024

Volleyball triumph

IN the last week, while Pakistan’s cricket team savoured a come-from-behind T20 series victory against Ireland,...
Border clashes
19 May, 2024

Border clashes

THE Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier has witnessed another series of flare-ups, this time in the Kurram tribal district...
Penalising the dutiful
19 May, 2024

Penalising the dutiful

DOES the government feel no remorse in burdening honest citizens with the cost of its own ineptitude? With the ...
Students in Kyrgyzstan
Updated 19 May, 2024

Students in Kyrgyzstan

The govt ought to take a direct approach comprising convincing communication with the students and Kyrgyz authorities.