Pak oppn to launch civil disobedience movement

Islamabad, May 26: Pakistan opposition leaders have said they would launch a ''civil disobedience movement'' if President Pervez Musharraf took any extra constitutional action to thwart the independence of the judiciary.

The warning came at a multi-party conference convened by the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) here last evening.

''The conference demanded the sack of the Sindh Governor and the Chief Minister's adviser on Home Affairs for mismanagement in Karachi where voilent protests against removal of top judge Iftikhar Chaudhry left 40 people dead,'' the Dawn newspaper reported.

The leaders also called for the extradition of Mutahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain, who went into self-exile in Britain in the early 1990s.

More than 20 speakers expressed their views on the political polarisation, insecurity, law and order and the violation of the Constitution.

They vowed to resist attempts for the re-election of Gen Musharraf with ''full force and unity''.

The conference supported the return of former exiled Prime Ministers Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto.

The meeting turned into a multi-party conference as it was attended by most of the senior leaders of MMA, Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), Imran Khan's Tehrik-e-Insaf, nationalist Awami National Party and Pakistan Oppressed Nations Movement, office-bearers of the Supreme Court Bar, representatives of the civil society, retired bureaucrats and generals.

The People's Party was conspicuous by its absence. The speakers urged its leadership to shun the ''politics of deals'' and ''looking towards Washington for power''.

A declaration called upon President Musharraf to immediately step down from his both offices and set up an interim government headed by the Senate chairman.

It also stressed the need for an independent Election Commission, restoration of the 1973 Constitution to the pre-October 12, 1999, position and the holding of free and fair elections.

The conference decided to set up a 'Qaumi Rabita Committee' to coordinate activities of the opposition parties.

The body comprises MPC convener Qazi Hussain Ahmed, PML (Nawaz) chairman Raja Zafarul Haq, Leader of the Opposition Maulana Fazlur Rahman, PTI chief Imran Khan, ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan, and PONAM leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai.

The declaration paid tributes to the sacked Chief Justice for ''taking a principled stand''.

The meeting held President Musharraf and MQM chief Altaf Hussain responsible for the May 12 situation in Karachi which stopped the Chief Justice from addressing a function at the Sindh High Court.

The opposition parties expressed determination to continue the struggle for an independent judiciary, federal parliamentary system, people's fundamental rights and a stable democratic polity.

Those who attended the meeting included Jamaat-i-Islami chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed, opposition leader in the National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rahman, PML-N chief Raja Zafarul Haq and Imran Khan, among others.

Imran Khan informed participants that he would leave in a fortnight for London to file a petition for the extradition of Altaf Hussain and cancellation of his British nationality.

UNI