ISLAMABAD, March 23: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairperson Benazir Bhutto has condemned disruption of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy’s (ARD) planned public meeting in Lahore and arrest of hundreds of political workers.

In a statement on Saturday, she said, on the one hand, the military regime permitted a religious party and its handpicked cronies in the kings party to hold public meetings. But, on the other hand, it was using brute force to deny the democratic parties‘ workers their constitutional and legal right to hold a peaceful meeting on the Pakistan Day. This duality of game plan endangers the integrity of the federation, she added.

Ms Bhutto said March 23 was the day which reminded us that Pakistan was to be a country where democracy and Constitution reigned supreme. But, as the chief executive was distributing Pakistan Day awards, the regime also earned for itself the medal of brutality for suppressing democratic and constitutional rights of the people.

She praised the heroic struggle of freedom loving people, saying history was a witness that the democratic aspirations of the people could never be suppressed by use of force. She demanded immediate release of all the arrested workers.

The ARD president, Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, Iqbal Jhagra and Tehmina Daultana were expelled from the district. Some PPP leaders, including party vice-chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim, were banned from travelling to Lahore from Karachi and elsewhere.

The ARD had planned a public meeting at the Mochi Gate to mark the Pakistan Day.

The alliance said the day provided the best opportunity in the election year to highlight the need for revival of democracy and Constitution in the country.