GUJRANWALA, Feb 19: The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) continued its province-wide protest against the government policies for the seventh day on Thursday.
Anti-government banners and placards were displayed at a protest camp set up outside the Gujranwala district courts. The camp was visited by PPP central secretary-general Jahangir Badar, former finance minister Makhdoom Shahabuuddin, divisional president and MNA Chaudhry Imtiaz Safdar Warraich, district president and former MNA Chaudhry Abdullah Virk, federal council member Khwaja Aslam Lone, former adviser Mian Azhar Hassan Dar, MPAs Chaudhry Zahid Pervaiz, Chaudhry Ashraf Kamboh, Chaudhry Shabir Ahmad, Mian Saudul Hassan Dar, Chaudhry Ijaz Ahmad Saman and former provincial minister Chaudhry Shah Nawaz Cheema.
Speaking to the participants, the PPP leaders vowed to continue their struggle till the restoration of real democracy in the country. They urged the government to immediately release the detained nuclear scientists as they were heroes of the nation.
They also demanded release of Asif Zardari and permission to both Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif to come back.
SIALKOT: The PML-N and PPP leaders and activists observed three-hour hunger strike at a protest camp set up at Allama Iqbal Chowk here on Thursday.
They included PML-N's MNA Khwaja Muhammad Asif, MPA Engineer Imran Ashraf, former MPA Manshaullah Butt, Sialkot district president Idrees Ahmad Bajwa, PPP federal council member Aslam Lone, divisional president and MNA Imtiaz Safdar Warraich, MPAs Malik Tahir Akhtar, Saood Dar and Sagheera Islam, Sialkot district (women wing) president Begum Akram Hayat Malik, Sialkot district president Malik Naseer Akhtar, Yousaf Khilji and Farooq Shafi Mughal (Daska).
Earlier, criticizing the government policies they condemned the humiliation of the nuclear scientists.
VEHARI: ARD activists continued their protest at a camp established in front of the TMA offices here. Former federal minister Mukhtar Ahmad Awan, ex-MNA Noor Khan Bhaba, Nosher Langrial, Rao Sajjid Gogi, Shafiq Ahmad Bhatti and Mian Aslam told the participants that the ARD movement had entered the final stage.
They said that the late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was punished for launching the nuclear programme and Dr Abdul Qadir Khan was victimized by the present rulers to please the US and other imperialists to prolong their stay.
They held the government responsible for price hike, growing unemployment and worsening law and order. The demanded that Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif should be allowed to come back and all arrested politicians should be released.
Earlier, a large number of PPP activists took out a protest procession paraded on major city roads. A heavy contingent of police remained accompanied the procession. Reports said ARD activists also set up protest camps in Mailsi and Burewala.
OKARA: The two PPP groups took out separate protest processions and camps in Okara on Thursday. PPP provincial executive member Chaudhry Sajjad, Sheikh Tasawwar Husain, Rao Rafique, Chaudhry Ashraf Sangoka of the PSF, Bhutto World Foundation activists Malik Saleem Noonari, Izharul Haq Toor and party's founder members Baba Abdul Jabbar Baghi, Nazir 'Jeera Sain' and Dildar Husain Jafri visited the camp set up by the group led by district president and MPA Ashraf Khan Sohna.
They demanded withdrawal of baseless cases against Benazir Bhutto and immediate release of Asif Zardari. The camp established by Okara sub-division president Abdul Sattar Wahla was visited by Alam Sher Lodhi, advocate Rao Abdul Khaliq, Abdul Shakoor Minhas, Malik Riasat Ali, PSF district president Rao Abdul Khaliq and a large number of party workers.
It is pertinent to note that the PML-N workers and office bearers did not participate in the week-long ARD protest. PML-N district president and former federal minister Mian Muhammad Zaman and his son MPA Mian Yawar Zaman said that the party's Punjab high-ups did not directed them to join the protest.
SARGODHA: The PPP and the PML-N held a rally here on Thursday.
Raising anti-Musharraf slogans, more than 5,000 people paraded through various roads from the Kot Momin Motorway Interchange to Sharbat Wala Chowk. They were led by former Punjab governor Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khosa, MNAs Saad Rafiq, Memona Javed Hashmi and Tasneem Ahmed Qureshi, MPA Dr Nadia Aziz and local leaders Chaudhry Shahnawaz Ranjha, Chaudhry Abdul Hameed and Abdul Razzaq Dhilon.
Speaking on the occasion, Sardar Khosa alleged that Gen Pervez Musharraf was earning personal benefits at the cost of the country and had destroyed all institutions.
He also accused the president of holding the elected representatives hostage. He said that days of the general and his associates were numbered. Mr Rafiq and Ms Hashmi bitterly criticized the army rule and called the civilian government a puppet government.
They claimed that Nawaz Sharif ruled the hearts from Khyber to Karachi and that people of Kashmir considered themselves safe under his rule. Tasneem Qureshi said if both parties remained united against their common enemy they would be able to save the country from "traitors". Former MNA Chaudhry Abdul Hameed and ex-MPA Chaudhry Shahnawaz Ranjha also addressed the rally.