ISLAMABAD, July 21: Declaring that the real test of the independence of the judiciary is yet to come, the leaders of the All Parties’ Democratic Movement (APDM) have announced that they will file constitutional petitions with the Supreme Court challenging various acts of President Gen Pervez Musharraf.
“We are considering moving several constitutional petitions and the Supreme Court’s actions on them will decide whether the judiciary has really become independent or its verdict (of restoring the chief justice) was merely a show of solidarity,” said Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) president Qazi Hussain Ahmed at the first news conference from the APDM platform here on Saturday.
The MMA chief said the APDM had made full preparations for challenging President Musharraf’s decision to get himself re-elected while keeping his army post from the present assemblies. He said legal panels had been constituted for the purpose.
He said many important issues were yet to come before the Supreme Court which would put the judiciary to test.
Under the Constitution, a person could not be elected president for three consecutive terms and Gen Musharraf had completed two, he said.
The MMA chief said it would be up to the Supreme Court to decide whether Gen Musharraf could stay in the caretaker set-up and whether he was a legitimate army chief. He said that Gen Musharraf had made a pledge to the nation that he would quit as army chief by Dec 31, 2004.
Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) chairman Raja Zafarul Haq said the SC decision had come at a time when the people were totally disappointed. He said the chief justice had been humiliated and tortured mentally and physically. The issue was still pending before the court, he said.
He said the opposition parties had decided to collectively move the SC on the killing of innocent people in Karachi on May 12 during a visit of the chief justice.
Mr Haq said the first meeting of the Joint Action Committee of the APDM, which was earlier scheduled to be held on July 30, would now be held on Monday at his residence.
Replying to a question, Qazi Hussain said the issue of quitting the Balochistan government was part of the agenda of the meeting.
The leaders said several important decisions were expected in the meeting. They said it had been decided that the APDM would hold public meetings in Quetta and Rawalpindi on Aug 9 and 14, respectively.
The APDM leaders paid tribute to the lawyers and particularly Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan for playing an active role in the struggle for the judiciary’s independence. They assured the lawyers that the opposition parties would support them in their efforts for the restoration of genuine democracy.
They said the rulers had no moral or legal justification to stay in power after the SC’s verdict.
They expressed the hope that the verdict would help ensure holding of free and fair elections.
The MMA chief said the slogan of the APDM was: Go Musharraf go.
In response to a question, he said the doors of the APDM were open for the People’s Party Parliamentarians.
PML-N secretary-general Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, information secretary Ahsan Iqbal, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai and MNA Mian Aslam of the MMA were also present.