All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM) on Saturday organised a protest demonstration and rally against the presidential elections, which it termed un-constitutional, illegal and unethical.
The protestors, who were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans against General Musharraf and his re-election in uniform by depleted and dying assemblies, resorted to severe sloganeering against the uniformed president and burnt his effigies.
The rally was led by leaders of APDM component parties including Rao Zafar Iqbal of JI, Younas Ghazi of PTI Allah Nawaz Khan Durrani, Nafees Ansari, MPA, Tariq Naeem-ullah,Mirza Jehangir, Rana Mehboob Alam and others. The protestors staged protest sit-in and blocked the road.
Meanwhile, traders of Multan also organised a big rally to express solidarity with the APDM, which was led by Khawaja Muhammad Shafiq and Khalid Qureshi. However, they did not respond positively to the strike call given by APDM, arguing that they could not observe shutter down owing to the ensuing Eid-ul-Fitr. They announced that they would support APDM call if given after Eidul Fitr.
The legal fraternity also protested the presidential election on Saturday as it called the process unconstitutional, illegal and unethical on the ground that a man in uniform could not contest election and the outgoing assemblies had not the mandate to re-elected president as their mandate has going to be dead.
Lawyers boycotted courts proceedings and took out rally which was led by Vice Chairman of Pakistan Bar council Mirza Aziz Akbar Baig, President District Bar Muhasmmnad Akram Bhatti, General Secretary Mumtaz Noon Tangra, Mazhar Jamil Qureshi, Moulvi Sultan Alam and other that terminated at Chowk Katchery.
The lawyers termed the presidential election as un-constitutional and illegal arguing that a man in uniform could not contest election and the present assemblies were not the competent electoral college for the election as their mandate is going to be dead shortly. They slammed the government for brutally using state machinery against media and lawyers in Islamabad on September 29.
They also came down hard on the government for promulgation of the so-called ordinance, 'National Reconciliation Ordinance, saying that the legal fraternity was astonished and stunned by promulgation of the ordinance and termed it an attempt of a military dictator to save his rule. They announced that the ordinance would be challenged in the court.