Credit goes to long marches?: Lawyers rally in front of Army House

Resource Daily Times Pakistan Tuesday, August 19, 2008

* Dancing marchers distribute sweets, demand Musharraf’s trial

By Terence J Sigamony

RAWALPINDI: Lawyers on Monday gathered at Rawalpindi District Bar Association (RDBA) office and rallied in jubilation in front of the Army House to celebrate resignation of Pervez Musharraf as the president.

The gathering was massive given the fact that courts were closed for summer vacation. The lawyers danced and distributed sweets among the people. As they reached the Army House, their sloganeering intensified and they demanded that Musharraf be hanged for violating the constitution and destroying government institutions.

They said Musharraf should not be given a safe passage and tried under Article 6 of the Constitution.

They said the people had given their verdict on Februa0ry 18 and in the shape of long marches against Musharraf. They paid tribute to the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Awami National Party (ANP) for getting Musharraf to resign.

LHCBA Rawalpindi Chapter President Sardar Asmatullah said the people had rejected Musharraf’s policies in the general election but the president did not resign then. He said the ‘ex-president’ had resigned to escape impeachment. He said the parliament, the people, lawyers and the civil society wanted Musharraf’s trial.

LHCBA Rawalpindi Chapter Secretary-General Malik Sadiq Awan said 18 months of lawyers’ struggle had forced Musharraf to resign. “Many lawyers were brutalised, tortured, injured and killed in this struggle,” he said.

He praised Nawaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari and the Pakistan Army for not going soft on Musharraf. He said all deposed judges should be restored now so that people could celebrate both events together in the days to come.

RDBA President Sardar Tariq Masood said Musharraf had violated the constitution and destroyed the system of judiciary, adding he gave resignation out of cowardice. He said the government should restore all deposed judges in 72 hours.

RDBA Secretary-General Sajid Tanoli said the credit for Musharraf’s resignation went to Zardari, whose opponents had now proved wrong. He said now was the time for democracy to grow in the country.

Taufiq Asif, a senior lawyer, said Musharraf should be arrested and tried and that the lawyers would bring him back through Interpol if he fled the country.

Ibadur Rehman Lodhi said the resignation was a victory for democracy. He said the development works Musharraf mentioned in his farewell speech actually started before his government.

Sanaullah Zahid said Musharraf’s resignation resulted from the lawyers’ struggle. Anwar Dar, a member of the LHCBA Executive Committee, said the coalition government should honour its commitment for judges’ restoration.

Intizar Mehdi alleged that Musharraf did not only want to destroy democratic institutions, but also the country.

Resoruce:

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C08%5C19%5Cstory_19-8-2008_pg11_3