KARACHI, April 29: The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy on Monday rejected Gen Pervez Musharraf’s referendum as a farce and alleged that the country would be destabilized as the regime’s policies were pushing it in the same direction in which the defunct Soviet Union drifted under Gorbachev.

A meeting of the provincial ARD which was held at the Karachi Press Club after the administration had refused it permission for a rally at the Nishtar Park, also rejected the Provisional Constitution Order and demanded the restoration of real democracy under the Constitution.

Though small in size, the highly charged and emotional gathering praised former Justice Tariq Mahmood of the Balochistan High Court who had resigned because he thought referendum was not justified.

People’s Court, as the meeting was described by the organizers, accused the government of wasting nation’s money and resources on the referendum.

It deplored the killing of doctors, lawyers and others and use of force against journalists.

The meeting made a passionate appeal to masses to remain indoors on Tuesday to prove their opposition to referendum, which, it said, was aimed at perpetuating the rule of one person.

PPP’s acting Secretary-General Raza Rabbani accused the regime of systematically destroying all the institutions. He said the press was deliberately attacked at the behest of the Punjab governor to intimidate it.

Mr Rabbani paid tributes to Justice Tariq for his stand and said the the government attitude in his case was an eye opener for the judges. He accused the regime of politicizing the institution of local bodies.

Referring to the apex court order on petitions challenging the referendum, he maintained that the Referendum Order 2002 was not an amendment to the Constitution. It meant that Article 41 remained intact and Gen Musharraf would have to seek support of the political parties who would be in majority in parliament after polls.

He declared that Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif would come back at an “appropriate time” to challenge the military dictatorship.

Another PPP leader, Syed Qaim Ali Shah lashed out at the government for making people jobless and pursuing policies that had forced over 3,000 people to commit suicide.

Sindh ARD chief Shah Mohammad Shah called upon the mainstream political parties to stop pulling each other’s leg and forge unity to protect the rights of people.

The senior vice-president of the PML (N), Ejaz Shafi, refuted the regime’s claims with regard to economic upliftment and said the growing graph of unemployment, closure of industries and declining agricultural activities were clear manifestation of the lies the government had been telling the people and the world.