KARACHI, April 26: The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) has decided to hold its April 29 meeting at the premises of Karachi Press Club where it will announce its future strategy, after it was refused permission to hold a public meeting at Nishtar Park.

This was stated by provincial ARD president Shah Mohammad Shah soon after presiding over a meeting of the alliance which lasted over two hours. Flanked by alliance leaders Nisar Khuhro, Mufti Ferozuddin Hazarvi, Rashid Rabbani and Muzaffar Shujra, he was speaking at an emergency press conference at the Bilawal House on Friday.

On the occasion, photocopies of a letter were distributed among the journalists, in which DIG (operation) had solicited orders from the capital city police chief whether permission be granted to the alliance for holding the meeting which was likely to criticize the government’s policies, besides appealing to the public to boycott the referendum.

In reply to a question, Shah Mohammad Shah claimed that the ARD had finalized all arrangements for the meeting to prove that people did not endorse the government’s policies, including holding of referendum. But, as the regime was afraid of becoming exposed about its tall claims of having public support, it refused to grant permission for the public meeting, he added.

“We could have stick to our programme of holding the meeting at the venue, but as we don’t want any confrontation to give an excuse to the regime to declare martial law, we have changed the venue and decided to stage a people’s court at the premises of Karachi Press Club on April 29 where speakers would consist of those judges who had refused to take oath under the PCO, and the lawyers who had proved themselves as true custodians of the Constitution and crusaders for the rule of law.”

Prominent columnists would also be invited on the occasion to express their views on referendum, he added.

To a question, Shah Mohammad Shah said whatever decision would be taken by the central leadership of the alliance, Sindh ARD would implement them.

PPP Sindh president Nisar Khuhro, in reply to a question, said the decision to change the venue of the meeting did not mean that the ARD was avoiding resistance, as April 30 would not be the last day.

Political parties having roots among the masses had always given a tough resistance to dictators and the referendum did not mean that Gen Pervez Musharraf would no more be a controversial president. “We will continue our struggle till restoration and supremacy of the 1973 Constitution.”

FACT-SHEET: Meanwhile, a PPP spokesman Munawwar Hussain Suhrwardi has issued a fact-sheet about performance of the government during the last two-and-a-half years. According to the fact-sheet, he said, all policies of the government had brought miseries to the people in the form of soaring prices, rising unemployment, forced dismissal, lawlessness, insecurity, dacoities, and violations of human rights.