HYDERABAD, Feb 5: The leaders of the All-Parties Democratic Movement have criticized the federal information minister for what they saw as issuing threats to media, and demanded reinstatement of all the sacked judges.

Abdul Waheed Qureshi, Nandlal Malhi, Shaukat Abro and Zahid Mallah advocate said at a news conference at the press club that the APDM would continue its struggle until the government reinstated the judges and restored the constitution.

The country was passing through a very dangerous phase with people in NWFP subjected to bombardment and tens of thousands of people forced to flee their homes, they said. The government’s anti-Pakistan policies had created a gulf between the army and people.

Mr Qureshi said that the judges, lawyers and civil society had joined hands in their protest against military regime but Musharraf was looking towards a hung parliament to help perpetuate his rule.

He said that people were facing crises after crises of flour, cooking oil, power and gas. The APDM had launched the movement against elections because the polls were a total fraud, he said.