ISLAMABAD, Dec 7: Nawabzada Nasrulla Khan, the chief of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD), has demanded that a neutral interim civilian setup should be formed immediately for holding fresh elections within 90 days so as to transfer power to an elected government in the country.

He was speaking at Islamabad Bar Association here on Friday President of the association, in his welcome speech, vowed to support ARD’s democratic struggle for the revival of the rule of law.

Nawabzada Nasrulla Khan asked the government to abide by the constitutional requirement of holding polls within 90 days, as prescribed in the unanimously-adopted Constitution of 1973.

“In order to manifest national consensus on immediate restoration of constitutional, democratic order and transfer of power to an elected government, the ARD will hold an All Parties Conference (APC) at Lahore in the last week of current month” he pointed out.

He said there was no room for the armed forces to indulge in politics and governance. “Being defenders of the country’s frontiers, they must concentrate on their professional duties alone” he added.

He said political parties were not against the armed forces as “we consider them as national forces.” “We are against army rule, not against the army” he pointed out.

He vowed to oppose any constitutional amendment by the government through undemocratic ways adding that only an elected Parliament and that too with two thirds majority in its both Houses could amend the constitution.

Expressing his strong determination to continue fight for the restoration of democracy, veteran leader said ARD would be further strengthened as grand national alliance struggling for democratic cause.

He said that ARD did not expect holding of any fair and free elections under the present military setup.

ARD chief said if the rulers were really sincere in holding elections under their much talked about “road-map to democracy” why there are no preparations for demarcation of constituencies, electoral rolls and other homework?

He strongly criticized the government for “engineering” the local bodies elections, saying that the large-scale interference in these elections created many doubts about the transparency of the provincial and national assembly elections.

He was critical of the government and its several agencies including the National Accountability Bureau for character assassination of the political leaders.

He lauded the role of political parties, adding that these parties had always given the top priorities to the national interests.

He said when the country was in crisis, the political parties and their leadership left their all other interests far behind and got united.

Discussing the performance of the government during its two- year tenure, he said after our eastern border, the western borders are no more safe due to wrong Afghan policy of the government.

He said the government criticized others for human rights but itself sent former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his whole family in exile.

Similarly another ex-prime minister Benazir Bhutto was forced to live in exile, he added.

He stressed that only an elected government could project the Kashmir cause and violations of human rights of the oppressed Kashmiris the hands of Indian army.—PPI