Pak lawyers rally, call for Musharraf to quit

Islamabad, Sep 6: Pakistani lawyers boycotted courts and rallied across the country today calling for embattled President Pervez Musharraf to stand down and give up efforts to seek another term.

Army chief Musharraf has seen his popularity plummet since he tried to dismiss the Supreme Court chief in March, outraging lawyers and whipping up opposition to military rule eight years after he seized power in a bloodless coup.

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Chanting ''Go, Musharraf go'' and ''down with dictatorship,'' about 1,500 lawyers marched in the city of Lahore demanding Musharraf resign as both president and army chief.

Similar protests were held in Peshawar, Quetta and other cities while courts were largely deserted throughout the country.

''Our struggle is for the restoration of real democracy and the end of military dictatorship,'' said Munir A Malik, president of the Supreme Court Bar Association.

''Our struggle will continue until we achieve our objective,'' he said.

Musharraf aims to get re-elected by the national and provincial assemblies some time between September. 15 and Octember. 15 and to hold a general election around the year-end.

But he is facing a barrage of legal and political opposition.

Opposition politicians and a lawyers' association have filed legal challenges to Musharraf's rule in the Supreme Court, which took up the cases on Wednesday and will begin regular hearings on Sept. 17.

RIVAL DUE TO RETURN

Adding to president's woes, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who Musharraf ousted in 1999 and later sent into exile, has vowed to return on Sept. 10, despite the possibility of arrest on corruption charges, to mount a campaign to end Musharraf's rule.

In the face of his deepening political problems, Musharraf has turned for help from another exiled former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, in the hope that a power-sharing deal with her would boost his legitimacy and help him overcome constitutional hurdles to holding on to power.

A deal, if finalised, could see Musharraf stepping down as army chief and paving the way for the two-time prime minister, Bhutto, to return home to resume her political career.

The United States and other Western allies hope a pact between the old rivals would bring stability and help sustain Pakistan's efforts in the war on terrorism.

Reuters

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