* Calls for president’s resignation, announces countrywide strike today * MMA to hold APC on 16th to consider cases against killersStaff ReportPESHAWAR: Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) President Qazi Hussain Ahmed has accused President Pervez Musharraf of giving the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) ‘a free hand’ to carry out violence in Karachi against peaceful people. Addressing a press conference, Ahmed said that “MQM hooligans” killed dozens of people and wounded several others in Karachi “at the behest of Gen Musharraf”. He said that the Rangers and police were also involved. He called for Gen Musharraf and his cabinet’s resignation, restoration of the Constitution and elections under an independent election commission. Ahmed said the incumbent parliament had no right to re-elect Musharraf as president and that all political parties would collectively block his re-election. “Gen Musharraf, with or without uniform, is an unconstitutional president,” he said. Ahmed said the MMA had decided to begin a movement in cooperation with other political parties to oust President Musharraf to overcome the current crisis. “We have consulted Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Amin Fahim, Chaudhry Nisar, Imran Khan and Asfandyar Wali on the issue. They all support us,” he said. The MMA leader said that a countrywide strike would be observed today (Monday) to condemn the Karachi killings. He said that Gen Musharraf would not step down unless people take to the streets. Ahmed said that MQM chief Altaf Hussain was ‘psychologically ill’ and the British government was protecting him. He said that Gen Musharraf and Altaf Hussain’s rallies were a ‘failure’. He said the federal government spent over Rs 500 million from the national exchequer on the Islamabad rally. Staff Report from Lahore adds: MMA Deputy Secretary General Liaquat Baloch told a press conference here on Sunday that his party would host an all parties conference (APC) on May 16 to evolve a strategy to register murder cases against those involved in the Karachi killings. He said the MMA would stage anti-government rallies in various parts of the country on May 27 to 29 and from July 1 to 3. The party will also hold public meetings in Rawalpindi and Lahore on July 17 and August 14, respectively.
PPP wants Musharraf, MQM tried
LAHORE: The Pakistan People’s Party on Sunday demanded that a case should be registered against President Pervez Musharraf and MQM leadership for inciting violence in Karachi. Addressing a press conference, Punjab PPP leaders Khalid Ahmad Khan, Munir Ahmad Khan and Ghulam Abbas said that assemblies should be dissolved and a caretaker government should be set up to hold general elections. They also feared violence in Punjab because of the MQM activities in this province. They also demanded the acting chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) take suo moto notice of misbehaviour with the CJP at Karachi Airport. They said that it was evident from the statements of the Sindh governor, the chief minister and the MQM leaders that the violence was pre-planned. They also alleged that the government was trying to sabotage federation by creating ethnic conflicts in Sindh. They said that the PML rally in Islamabad was the rally of the government employees. They said that the PPP, after coming to power, would hold Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi accountable for using provincial resources on the meeting. They also condemned the attack on Aaj TV channel. They said that the PPP would also support any protest movement against President Pervez Musharraf. They said that the PPP would hold a protest meeting outside General Post Office on Monday (today) along with other parties. The party held a protest meeting outside Data Darbar on Sunday and offered Ghiabana (in absentia) funeral prayers for those killed in Karachi. staff report
Daily Times
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment