LAHORE, Nov 8: Rafiq Tarar, who still claims to be the constitutional president of the country, said here on Friday that the nation should wake up and prevent the regime from flouting the mandate of the general election.

Talking to reporters at an Iftar party, he said people’s mandate was not respected in 1971 as a result of which the country was dismembered. Now, he said, the nation should be watchful and ensure that the tragedy was not repeated.

Nations refusing to learn any lessons from history always met with a dreadful end, he said.

He told a questioner that PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and MMA leader Qazi Husain Ahmed still regarded him as the constitutional head of state. But, he said, he did not have force with him to enforce the relevant constitutional provision.

Punjab PML-N Secretary-General Khwaja Saad Rafiq said the new parliament would not come under pressure of the military rulers though the latter were under the false impression that they would be able to keep the legislators-elect under their influence. He said time had come that those who had done injustice to Mr Rafiq Tarar and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif be held accountable.

Referring to the present political situation, Mr Saad said politicians could not be held responsible for any deadlock. He alleged that the military rulers were trying to bring in a rubberstamp prime minister and a National Assembly speaker. In case they did not desist from going ahead with their nefarious designs, the PML-N legislators would stage a sit-in before parliament, he threatened. Mr Saad said the elected representatives would not allow the present rulers to hamper democracy any more. Information Secretary Siddiqul Farooq underlined the need for the eradication of corruption from the defence forces. Acting president Javed Hashmi said in a message that his party would continue its struggle for the restoration of the Constitution and steering the country out of the quagmire it was stuck up in. He said party workers were very dear to the party and it was for this reason that they had been awarded tickets in the recent elections. The workers would be valued even in the future, he assured. Mr Hashmi said the PML-N would soon be reorganized and committed workers would be given important positions.

MNA-elect Pervaiz Malik demanded that a session of the new assembly be convened without delay. In case the rulers tried to ignore the demand, patriotic legislators-elect would stage a sit-in on the lawns of the National Assembly. He demanded that the Legal Framework Order should be withdrawn and the Constitution restored in its pre-takeover form.

He indicated the assembly would be willing to approve the “good amendments” as a result of a debate.