KARACHI, 20 January — The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy, country’s main political grouping that was reactivated recently, yesterday asked the government of Pervez Musharraf to quit and hand over charge to an interim government which, in turn, could hold elections in a fair and transparent manner.
The Pakistan People’s Party, and Pakistan Muslim League, whose leaders, Benazir Bhutto, and Nawaz Sharif, respectively, despite being in exile since long, had directed their aides to attend the policy-making organ of the alliance in full force to make its deliberations a success.
The PPP obviously had a better representation. Its delegation consisted of the party’s acting chairman, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Sindh President Nisar Khuhro, Sindh’s former Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, and former minister Syed Khursheed Shah, while the PML was represented by former Sen. Akram Zaki, and information secretary Mushahidullah Khan, Sharif’s former aide Siddique Farooq, the Sindh leader, Shah Muhammad Shah, and Saleem Zia.
However, the chief coordinator of the PML, Raja Zafarul Haq, was conspicuous by his absence. No explanation for that was offered. According to ARD Chairman Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, who had been in the forefront of democratic movements since the country’s first martial law in 1958, the meeting rejected the changes introduced by the present government in the electoral laws of the country, emphasizing that the right to bring amendments in the constitution rested solely with an elected parliament.
No individual or group had any right to exercise that right, he stressed, and recalled that Pakistan, founded through the democratic process, had been subjected to the whims of military rulers like Ayub Khan, Yahyia Khan, Zia-ul Haq and now Gen. Musharraf. They represented no one, and had no mandate to rule, he said.
When reminded that some of the main parties in the ARD had been demanding restoration of the 1973 constitution, increase in assembly seats, restoration of reserved seats for women, and election on proportional representation for a selected number of seats, he explained that political parties were free to demand improvement in electoral system, but the amendments could only be brought by an elected parliament.
It was only natural that the president should quit, hand over the governance of the country to an interim setup, which in turn, should appoint an independent and autonomous election commission for holding of polls at once.
He said the country was beset with ticklish problems like Afghanistan and Kashmir. Political parties should therefore be allowed to galvanize the nation to handle such problems with the maximum possible participation of the people.
Restrictions on political activities, rallies, etc., in force for more than two years, should be lifted forthwith, all political prisoners, including Asif Zardari, be set free and exiled leaders like Benazir and Sharif be allowed to return home to contest elections. Only then will the elections get legitimacy, he stressed.
