Musharraf action negation of court verdict: ARD

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, JUNE 28. The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD), a conglomerate of 18 political parties in Pakistan opposed to the military Government, has said that it does not recognise Gen. Pervez Musharraf, as the new President of Pakistan.

In a resolution, the ARD has said that as per the Supreme Court judgment of May 2000, that has validated the military coup, the Musharraf Government has no right to amend the Constitution and anoint Gen. Musharraf as the President.

The ARD has been engaged in a confrontation with the military Government ever since it came into existence in November last year. There have been three futile attempts by the ARD to hold public rallies in support of its demand for an early announcement of the election schedule.

Days before he appointed himself to the office of President, Gen. Musharraf had a meeting with the Chairman of the ARD, Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, and agreed to his demand for allowing the ARD to go ahead with its proposed rally on August 14 at Rawalpindi. It was seen as a concession to Gen. Musharraf to political parties to secure their support on his summit meeting with the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee.

In a strongly worded resolution, the ARD argued that assumption of Presidency by Gen. Musharraf was negation of the Supreme Court verdict in which the apex court had directed the military government to hold general elections by October 2002.

It maintained that neither the Supreme Court nor the National Reconstruction Bureau has the mandate to amend the Constitution. The resolution said Pakistan Parliament alone has the authority to amend the Constitution.

The ARD adopted the resolution at a meeting held in Lahore to decide on whether or not to respond to the invitation extended by Gen. Musharraf to the representatives of political and religious parties on his coming Delhi yatra. Though the announcement on the decision to boycott the `all-party meet' was made on June 26, the ARD chose to release the resolutions adopted at the meeting the following day. It has expressed surprise over the presence of the Supreme Court judges at the swearing-in ceremony of Gen. Musharraf. None other than the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court administered the oath of office and secrecy. It termed the budget presented by the military Government for 2001-2002 as a `pack of lies' and accused the Government of ignoring the aspirations of the common man, industry and agriculture.

In a related development, the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) group has urged Gen. Musharraf to cancel his coming visit to India in the light of the decision of the ARD boycott the `all- party' meet convened by him.

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Section  : International
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