ISLAMABAD, April 6: Mohammad Ikram Chaudhary, President High Court Bar Association, Rawalpindi, has described the referendum plan unveiled by President Musharraf in his address to the nation as “ultra vires to the Constitution” and “a violation of the judgment of the Supreme Court.”

The SC in the Zafar Ali case had directed the government to hold general elections till October, 2002.

He said it was observed in the case of Gen Zia that the kind of referendum he proposed only weakened the democratic institutions in the country and did no service to the nation.

It was the most unfortunate aspect of our history that military rulers, after taking the country’s helm on the excuse of instability there, sought to prolong their regimes when, in their own words, stability returned.

Member, Punjab Bar Council, Nahida Mehboob Elahi Advocate, said that restoration of the democratic order was the popular demand but this could be met only if the government “comes to an understanding with the people and the politicians.” She, however, said the choice to either accept or reject the plan of the president, “is still with the people.”

President, PML(Q)’s women wing, Nelofar Bakhtyar said referendum was the only option left to solve the political uncertainty in the country. “Therefore,” she added, “we must fully support the president and his plan.”

She said for the first time in the history of the country thirty-three percent representation to the women was given in the local bodies while their representation in the assemblies too was enhanced to a great extent.

“These welcoming steps could only yield results if he continues in the office for the next five years,” she said.