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RAWALPINDI, Oct 12: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) observed Tuesday as a black day and held a protest rally against the overthrowing of its government five years ago.
Party leaders criticized President Gen Pervez Musharraf for removing an elected government by what they said capturing power illegally. Addressing the rally, PML-N Chairman Raja Zafarul Haq said five years ago this day, their elected government was overthrown and an army dictator occupied power.
"Power comes and goes and we have no regret over it, but the way the roots of democracy are being undermined is very regrettable," he said. A culture, he added, was being introduced which had nothing to do with our traditions and was against our religious values.
He said the US was supporting extremely unpopular leaders in many countries including Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. PML-N Punjab Secretary General Khwaja Saad Rafique said army had been pitted against its won people. He termed Gen Musharraf's five-year rule unjust and unconstitutional. He said the ARD in collaboration with other democratic forces would pressure Gen Musharraf to quit.
Syed Zafar Ali Shah said they would not leave the country at the mercy of Gen Musharraf and would save it from US slavery. The party workers and leaders on the occasion wore black arm- bands and chanted slogans against Gen Musharraf. They were also carrying banners and placards inscribed with anti-Musharraf slogans.
They demanded the government allow the return of party Quaid Nawaz Sharif and president Shahbaz Sharif. Party leaders including Sardar Nasim, MPAs Malik Ibrar, Chaudhry Ayaz, Akhtar Mehmood, Tahira Aurangzeb were also present.
Our staff reporter from Islamabad adds: The Supreme Court lawyers on Tuesday staged a token demonstration to condemn the completion of five- year rule of General Pervez Musharraf.
The Pakistan Bar Council had recently adopted a resolution to observe black day on October 12, while its vice-chairman Rasheed A Rizvi had asked the bar associations to mark the day by hoisting black flags and wearing black bands.
President of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Justice (retd) Tariq Mehmood, Vice-President Muhammad Ikram Chaudhry and other members of the PBC hoisted a black flag in front of the Supreme Court building and raised slogans against the military leadership. The event, however, proved to be a poor show, as very few lawyers turned up to mark the event.
Speaking on the occasion, Tariq Mehmood said the lawyers community would continue their struggle till removal of Gen Pervez Musharraf as president. "With this token demonstration, we have renewed our pledge to fight for the restoration of a genuine democracy, revival of 1973 Constitution in its essence, independence of judiciary and supremacy of parliament," he said.
Tariq Mehmood observed that the country was heading towards dismemberment because of dissensions among the smaller provinces - a situation which had made the federating units least interested in a strong federation.
Instead of making progress, he said, Musharraf had taken control of all the state institutions because of which the country was losing its very existence. He said Musharraf rule was detrimental to the interests of the people and the country.
Ikram Chaudhry resolved to continue the ongoing struggle against the 'uniformed democracy' even if parliament authorized Musharraf to keep two offices. "The lawyers have already rejected the bill, as this was against the spirit of the constitution.
It's unfortunate that neither there was a genuine democracy in the country nor our judiciary was independent. We have a rubber-stamp parliament and there is great pressure of the executive on the judges," he said.
Chairman Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Tahir Mohammad Khan while talking to reporters on the occasion said the government was taking steps in a clandestine manner as there was no transparency in the state affairs, while the public had no say in the national policies.
