KARACHI, July 9: The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) has rejected the proposed constitutional amendments package and the Political Parties Order, 2002, terming them part of an attempt to perpetuate dictatorship of Gen Pervez Musharraf.

Demanding immediate withdrawal of the proposed package and restoration of the 1973 Constitution, the ARD called for setting up a caretaker national consensus government for holding free, fair and transparent elections.

The demand was made by the Central Committee of ARD, which met here on Tuesday at the Bilawal House. The meeting was presided over by its president Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan and was attended by leaders of PPP, PML(N), PDP, MUF, PML (Qayyum) and Pakistan Christian Party.

“In the presence of the proposed amendments, power is not going to be transferred to the elected representatives of the people but to a showpiece parliament which will neither be independent, nor sovereign. We appeal to the international human rights bodies and the UN agencies to extend moral support to our struggle for the restoration of democracy and fundamental rights of the 140 million people,” Nawabzada Nasrullah observed while talking to reporters after the meeting.

The ARD chief said that almost all the major political parties, bar associations, and various representative organisations had vindicated the ARD’s stand by rejecting outright the proposed amendments to the constitution.

He particularly appreciated the role of the lawyers’ fraternity whose organisations — Pakistan Bar Council, high court and district bar associations — had rejected the package and announced to boycott courts and take out a procession on July 15 against the amendments.

The Nawabzada, who was flanked by Mian Ejaz Shafi of PML(N) and Syed Qaim Ali Shah of PPP, announced moral support to the lawyers community in their struggle for the rule of law.

He said the proposed amendments were in conflict with human rights, the 1973 Constitution, provincial autonomy, parliamentary system and federal structure of the government, and would lead the country towards unitary form of government.

Regarding the new presidential order debarring a person who has held the office of prime minister or chief minister two times previously from running for a third term, the ARD chief said how ill-informed they were about the democratic norms as nowhere in the world where there was a parliamentary form of government, such law existed. He cited the examples of former British Prime Minister Mrs Thatcher, who was elected three times, and Pundit Nehru and Indira Gandhi, who also held this position for more than two terms.

About the National Security Council, he said nowhere in the world there was any precedent of providing constitutional cover to the army to render an elected parliament a toothless institution.

“Gen Musharraf had been following the footsteps of earlier military rulers Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan and Zia-ul-Haq, who too had assumed all powers after taking over the office of president.”

With whom Gen Musharraf wanted to consult on the proposed constitutional amendments when already all the mainstream political parties, major political and religious alliances, representative organisations of lawyers and journalists had expressed their collective thinking, he queried, and added that the government ought to respect the public opinion.

Advising the government to stop playing with the destiny of the nation, the Nawabzada accused the government of resorting to pre-poll rigging by changing the electoral rolls and constituencies, using the government agencies and home secretary to pressure the potential candidates to resign from their parties and switch over to the “king’s party.” Those who refused to succumbed to the pressure were being implicated in false cases, he charged.

Had the government been sincere in holding free and fair elections it would have taken steps to make the political atmosphere favourable for elections, he remarked.

Referring to the deteriorating law and order situation, he said in a civil society if a government failed to protect the life and property of the people, it loses the right to rule. Condemning the incident of gang-rape in Multan, he said murders, dacoities and theft had become the order of the day.