The All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM) has reaffirmed its pledge to boycott January 8 general elections and continue struggle till reinstatement of deposed judges and complete independence of judiciary and media.
Speaking at the Open Forum held at Rawalpindi District Bar Association (RDBA) office here on Thursday, opposition leaders, lawyers, civil society activists, journalists and student leaders observed that by participating in, what they said, the drama being staged in the name of elections, Nawaz Sharif, Benazir Bhutto and Maulana Fazlur Rehman were pushing the country into a ditch and are encouraging the dictator.
A portrait of Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was symbolised as chief guest of the forum, which was also addressed by Qazi Hussain Ahmed, President MMA and Ameer Jamaat-i-Islami, Imran Khan, Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, former ISI chief Hameed Gul, journalists C R Shamsi and Fauzia Shahid, High Court Bar president Sardar Asmatullah, RDBA president Khalid Ismail, student leaders Alia Amir Ali and Muhammad Usman, PMA president Dr Arshad, Pakistan Railway Union leader Ishtiaq Aasi.
They said that the regime wants to misguide the world opinion and people of Pakistan by conducting shame exercise in the name of election and wanted to prolong their illegitimate and unconstitutional rule. Some opposition leaders are facilitating the regime and giving credibility to fraud elections by participating in it, they opined.
Addressing the forum Qazi Hussain Ahmed said that participation in upcoming general elections would be tantamount to taking oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) and the National Assembly coming into being after January 8 elections would provide protection to the PCO. He said that Nawaz Sharif was not ready to shake hand with Musharraf how he will sit in the Assembly under Musharraf's supervision.
"Nawaz has lost his glory and public support on December 9 after he decided to take part in elections", he asserted. He said that APDM had formed a committee to prepare a charter of demand for reinstatement of judges and all eleven points of the charter were accepted unanimously. He said that PPP wants free judiciary but not ready to reinstate the deposed judges.
He said that Justice Iftikhar has set new precedents of courage and valour by refusing to cow down before a dictator and his lieutenants and whole nation responded positively and gave him a heroic reception. Justice Chaudhry became a ray of hope for suppressed people and this became his only sin, he added.
Qazi said that freedom of judiciary is linked with the reinstatement of deposed judges. APDM would resist any unconstitutional move of the government and strive with full force till freedom of judiciary and media, he said.
He said government is considering amendments in the constitution under the cover of Supreme Court but it is a fact that Supreme Court has no powers to amend the Constitution. Imran Khan praised Aitzaz Ahsan for deciding to boycott elections, saying that Aitzaz has responded to the pressing demand of the nation.
Aitzaz was on forefront in struggle for freedom of judiciary and reinstatement of Justice Iftikhar, he added. Imran Khan said that for the first time in 60 years history of the country judiciary has showed courage and dare to strike down the unconstitutional steps of usurpers. But, he said, the dictator could not digest this freedom and judicial activism.
He said that Musharraf has pushed country towards civil war and ruined the institutions of army and judiciary once considered as symbol of unity. Rejecting the elections as fraudulent and meant to support to a dictator he said if judges are under arrested and seeking justice then what a common man could expect.
It is our moral obligation to contact masses to hold complete boycott of the upcoming elections, Imran Khan said adding that APDM would use all its resources and energies to make the boycott a success. The APDM parties would decide the future strategy its national seminar to be held on December 18.
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