Zardari worse than Musharraf: Nawaz

[Naveed Yaseen]

(Naveed adds: 'Haey Us Zood Pasheman Ka Pasheman Hona')

By Muhammad Anis
ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister and PML-N Quaid Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has said that President Asif Ali Zardari is bent upon destroying the country and “he is committing misdeeds worse than Pervez Musharraf” .

Nawaz Sharif said this while addressing a conference, held in connection with mobilisation and preparations for the lawyers’ long march here on Wednesday. He said the generals, who violated and desecrated Constitution, should be ashamed of their acts and they should be beaten on their heads with sticks. “The whole country has been made hostage by judges and generals having vested interests,” Nawaz added.

The national conference on long march, attended by top leadership of political parties, lawyers community and members of civil society, adopted a resolution to continue sit-in in Islamabad till restoration of November 02, 2007.

Besides Nawaz Sharif, the conference was attended by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Ameer Qazi Hussain Ahmad, Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, Jamiat Ahle Hadith chief Allama Sajid Mir, Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan and other leaders of lawyers community, regional political parties, traders community and representatives of civil society.

Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, Ahsan Iqbal, Liaquat Baloch, Dr Farid Paracha, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Anjum Aqeel Khan and Mian Muhammad Aslam also attended the conference.

The resolution said that the government had left lawyers community and political workers with no option but to resort to non-violent and peaceful long march. “The people should participate in long march and Dharna till the restoration of the judiciary,” it added.

The resolution while terming independent judiciary essential to bring the country out of crises, condemned imposition of governor’s rule in the Punjab, saying, it was an attempt to subvert long march and it also resulted in tragic incident of armed attack on Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore.

Addressing the conference, Nawaz Sharif said President Asif Ali Zardari would have to pay heavy price if he does not restore the November 02, 2007 judiciary. Nawaz Sharif maintained that his party would not have lost the Punjab government and he along with Shahbaz Sharif would not have been disqualified had he compromised on issue of restoration of judiciary and illegal additional marks given to Farah Hameed Dogar.

Nawaz Sharif disclosed that only one and a half months back President Zardari in the presence of a federal minister sought cooperation in extension of tenure of Abdul Hameed Dogar and in return he offered a give-and-take deal. Moreover, Nawaz Sharif said Abdul Hameed Dogar also attempted to reach a deal with him on issue of his daughter’s additional marks. “The PML-N could not have suffered had we not taken stand on the restoration of judiciary,” he added.

Nawaz said Asif Zardari would suffer defeat in the Punjab as the PML-N only a day before proved its majority in the Punjab Assembly having support of 207 MPAs.He termed the decision of PML-N to take part in 2008 general elections correct saying had they not contested elections the PPP government could have given indemnity to Pervez Musharraf through the Parliament.

Nawaz Sharif said that the defining moment has come and now the whole nation should rise to the occasion to get rid of PCO judges. JI Ameer Qazi Hussain Ahmad, PTI Chairman Imran Khan and Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan also spoke on the occasion.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=20736