LAHORE, May 2: Punjab law minister Rana Ejaz on Thursday criticized the politicians who he said challenged the Referendum Order in the Supreme Court but later refused to accept its verdict on the issue.

Speaking at a seminar on ‘Referendum and democracy’ organized by the Tehrik-i-Istaqlal, he said Gen Pervez Musharraf depicted a democratic attitude by not choosing local councils as its electorate or amending the Constitution to become president for five years.

TI president Rehmat Khan Vardag said his party was supporting Gen Musharraf for he was implementing the manifesto adopted by his party back in 1979.

Saadia Khalid of the International Commission for Human Rights, TI’s Punjab chief Rana Zahid, information secretary Akhtar Muslim and former Lahore Bar secretary-general Karamat Awan also spoke on the occasion.