LAHORE, Nov 29: MMA president and Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Qazi Hussain Ahmad has said that his basic demand is the restoration of the supreme court headed by chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhri, while all other issues including eligibility of Gen Musharraf for presidential elections, imposition of emergency and PCO should be solved through the supreme court as it was before Nov. 3.

He was talking to a delegation of represenatatives of lawyers bodies and Bar Associations which called on him at Mansoorah on Thursday. The delegation included vice president of Supreme Court Bar Association Ghulam Nabi Bhatti, member Pakistan Bar Council Ramzan Chaudhri Advocate, former president Lahore High Court Bar Ahmad Awais, Pir Kalim Khurshid, vice chairman Punjab Bar Council Javed Warraich, Members of Punjab Bar Council Chaudhri Zulfiqar, Amir Jalil Siddiqi, Iqbal Vengal, Iqbal Mohal, Ziaullah Khan, Anwar Kamal, Ziauddin Ansari, vice preisdnet Lahore High Court Bar Firdaus Butt and Finance secretary Ruby Hayat Awan.

The representatives of lawyers and Bar Associations told Qazi Hussain Ahmad that contesting elections would be fruitless and damaging since it would give justification to Gen Musharraf's unconstitutional measures and Emergency besides pushing the real issue of restoration of judiciary at the backburner, while returning officers under the influence of present supreme court and high courts would give polls results in favor of ruling alliance.

Qazi Hussain Ahmad said restoration of judiciary as of before Nov 3 is our basic demand and it would automatically solve the rest of the problems facing the country. He said he is personally in favor of boycotting the polls and launching movement against Gen Musharraf and his illegal regime, but he would take the final decision in consultation with other opposition parties. He said while Nawaz Sharif was in Jeddah he and Jamaat-e-Islami had agreed to boycott the polls and launch anti Musharraf movement. He said attempts are being made to include other opposition parties into this agreement. QAzi said he is ready to constitute a platform comprising all opposition parties including the PPP for launching anti Musharraf movement, and he had already proposed to Benazir Bhutto to hold an APC at some non controversial platform to chalk out its strategy. He said army should take stock of the situation to end the fast widening gulf between the army and the nation and for this purpose it is essential to end cooperation with US war against terror and vacate the basis from the US troops. He warned that US is against a strong Pakistani army and defence, and for this purpose she was alienating Pakistani nation from the army.


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