LAHORE, Jan 12: The Pakistan Muslim League-N, whose chief Nawaz Sharif was rescued and given asylum for around seven years by the Saudi kingdom when he was jailed by Gen Musharraf after a military coup on Oct 12, 1999, sees establishment of democracies in the Arab world as a solution to the recent Middle East conflict and the ensuing Israeli aggression.

Establishment of elected democratic governments in Arab states was inevitable for foiling Israeli designs, speakers told a rally taken out by the PML-N on The Mall here on Monday to mark the protest day against Israeli atrocities. They said Tel Aviv would continue massacre of Palestinians as long as dynasties instead of democratic governments were there to rule the Arab world.

They also chided the United States for encouraging Israel and providing it with ammunition for mass killing of innocents in the Middle East.

Scores of PML-N activists led by elected representatives earlier converged at the GPO Chowk in the form of small processions from various parts of the city and then marched on The Mall to Punjab assembly building in Faisal Chowk where a public meeting was held.

Carrying banners and placards inscribed with their demands, the participants were chanting anti-Israel slogans.

Though attendance was not good enough if seen in the context that Lahore is considered a citadel of the PML-N, traffic remained jammed on various roads linking The Mall during the rally. It also put extra vehicular load on other city streets, causing inconvenience to motorists.

Party’s Punjab chapter president Sirdar Zulfikar Ali Khan Khosa lamented the silence of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as well as world powers over the Israeli military operation which had entered its third week.

He criticised Washington for its double standards about world peace and terrorism.

MNA Khwaja Saad Rafiq used the occasion to also criticise President Asif Zardari for conferring awards on United States officials. “We categorically say that we don’t accept Asif Ali Zardari’s policies. What kind of this loyalty (with the country) is that awards are being conferred on those who are launching missiles (on Pakistani territory)?”

He said Zardari should see reason and implement in letter and spirit the verdict the nation had given on Feb 18.

He hailed Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani for dismissing a US ‘agent’ like Mahmood Ali Durrani (MAD) and termed the step a good gesture. He assured Gilani of PML-N’s help if he (prime minister) took decisions in conformity with nation’s aspirations.

Urging the UNSC to play its role, MNA Hamza Shahbaz Sharif said peace in the Middle East could be guaranteed only by giving Palestinians their due rights.

He alleged that Pakistani rulers were insensitive to the plight of the Muslims as parliament’s joint resolution on Fata was wholly being ignored.

He pledged to work for an independent judiciary and making the office of the prime minister more powerful than the presidency.

Hamza lamented that India was dominating the region taking advantage of the Mumbai attacks while the loss of innocent lives in Marriot blast and Fata attacks was being belittled.