RAWALPINDI, June 13: Members of Ex-Servicemen Society before joining the lawyers’ long march here on Friday urged President Pervez Musharraf to leave the Presidency as he was not a constitutional president and people had not accepted him in this position.

This was stated by former chief of army staff Gen (retired) Mirza Aslam Baig in a hurriedly called press conference at Liaquat Bagh before joining the long march of the lawyers on Islamabad to protest against the delay in the return of the deposed judges.

Mr Baig was flanked by the society’s president, Gen (retired) Faiz Ali Chishti, former Rawalpindi corps commander Lt- Gen (retired) Jamshaid Gulzar Kiani and former ISI chief Gen (retired) Hamid Gul. Other members included retired armymen Ali Kuli Khan, Mohammad Islam, Saleem Haider, Asad Durrani, Naeem Akbar, Arshad Malik, Sajjawal and Arshad Rauf.

The country has been on a standstill for the last few months due to the unconstitutional steps taken by Pervez Musharraf and these steps have paved the way for a social revolution as the people are now aware of their rights, said Mr Baig.

The retired army chief said the movement of Pakistan was won through political and diplomatic means not through bloodshed. The lawyers’ movement has created awareness of their basic rights and they will get their due rights through peaceful means.

Appreciating the role of the army in the February 18 general elections, Gen Baig said had ISI meddled in the elections, the results would not have been different from that of 2002 general elections.

The army has realised its actual role and distanced itself from the president that has resulted in Americans’ demand to provide safe exit to Pervez Musharraf, he added.

Our struggle goes beyond the ouster of President Musharraf and we want to make it sure that no future dictator resorts to unconstitutional steps, Mirza Aslam said.

He said in the past whenever a popular uprising was started against a ruler, the dictators took over the helm of affairs but this time people were more aware and vigilant to thwart such kind of adventurism.

The ex-service men maintained that the judges would be restored and criticised the prevalent judicial system where they said the rich get away with their wrongdoings and the poor had to pay the price for what they had not done.

They maintained that the PCO judges should not be removed and the demands of the lawyers should be fulfilled.

Condemning the American attack on an army picket in Mohmand Agency, they said the government should take up the matter with the allies and denounce the attack in strongest words.

They appreciated the army chief for openly criticising the attacks of allied forces in Pakistani territories.