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| Mammoth anti-Musharraf rally in Islamabad |
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Saturday, June 14, 2008
Nawaz rules out safe passage for president; gives Geo a pat on the back; Aitzaz says sit-in to continue until judges restored
By Sohail Khan & Khalid Iqbal
ISLAMABAD: Hundreds of thousands of anti-Musharraf marchers converged on federal capital early Saturday demanding reinstatement of the deposed judges in no time. The main long march rally led by lawyers' leader Aitzaz Ahsan entered the Parade Ground at about 2:15 am while PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif reached the venue at 2:35 am.
As the lawyer and political leaders appeared on the stage, the participants of the long march cried "go Musharraf go" at the top of their voice. PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif began his speech at 3:00 am by paying glowing tributes to the participants of the march. He said this was the place where Musharraf claimed before a gathering in the wake of the Karachi killing that it was a demonstration of people's power. He said those people were brought by paying money. He asked Musharraf to come and see the real demonstration of people's power. He also asked Musharraf to listen to what the people were saying about him.
He said Musharraf had not accepted the decision the people delivered on Feb 18. He said now the people did not want only his ouster but his trial. He said Musharraf should remember the days when innocent girl students of Jamia Hafsa were demanding safe passage but he burnt them with fire bombs. He said now Musharraf cannot be given a safe passage.
He said this dictator has drowned the economy and pushed the people to starvation. He said these were the dictators who broke the country, surrendered to the enemy, and hanged the political leaders.
The audience responded to the speech of Nawaz by demanding that Musharraf be hanged. Nawaz said the real issue is to reject the Nov 3rd unconstitutional steps. He said the judges should have been restored immediately after Feb 18. He also recounted his efforts for the restoration of judges and deplored that the Murree declaration was not implemented.
He said the Geo News was being prevented from giving coverage to the judges' issue. However, the Geo stands its ground. He said, "Well done Geo, we are with you". Earlier people started thronging the Parade Ground near Parliament House Friday evening and their number reached over 50,000 by midnight and swelled to hundreds of thousands when the main rallies reached there.
Instead of demanding restoration of the sacked judges, the enthusiastic and angry crowds in the caravans resorted to full-throated slogans of 'Go Musharraf Go' while carrying interesting caricatures of the president.
During the march no untoward incident had been reported though a helicopter kept hovering for a short while over the venue to monitor the extent of the gathering. The Constitution Avenue had been completely sealed off after putting containers on its connecting roads while the roads leading to the Parliament House were also blocked. Police contingents were deployed at entry routes of Islamabad.
The unprecedented and massive gathering at the main venue where the legal fraternity of the country was set to hold a historic meeting was expected to continue till early Saturday morning.
Amir Jamaat-e-Islami Qazi Hussain Ahmed reached the venue in a huge convoy and offered Maghrab prayers at the Parade Ground. Likewise a convoy of over 40 vehicles carrying lawyers and general public from various parts of NWFP also reached the venue with great pomp and show to express solidarity with the deposed judges.
The most interesting aspect of the long march was the enthusiastic participation of general public with their family members, including even kids having feeders and soft drinks in their hands.
Similarly most of the caravans, carrying thousands of people arrived in a traditional manner, dancing with jubilance to express their support for the independence of judiciary and rule of law.
"This gathering would ensure the forceful exit of Musharraf as the whole nation is united for this cause and nothing else," said a citizen from Islamabad who came along with his family members. Musharraf would have to give an account of his misdeeds, he added.
"I could not refuse my children to take them along to this avenue to support the lawyers movement and to express solidarity with the participants of long march," a housewife told The News.
Earlier through the route from Lahore participants of the long march were accorded a warm welcome. The people of Rawalpindi gave the long march participants a standing ovation. Alternate arrangements were made for city traffic.
Earlier, thousands of participants of the long march led by Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan reached the Rawalpindi district courts at about 3:00pm. As the lorry in which Aitzaz Ahsan, Ali Ahmed Kurd, Justice (R) Tariq Mehmood, Athar Minallah, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Chaudhry Tanvir Khan and Hamid Nawaz were sitting reached at Liaquat Bagh people accorded them a rousing welcome and urged Aitzaz to utter some words on the occasion. The car of Senior Vice President of PML-N Javed Hashmi also accompanied the long march caravan.
Addressing on the occasion, Aitzaz Ahsan said the long marchers would remain in front of the Parliament House indefinitely unless the deposed judges including Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry were reinstated, said President Supreme Court Bar Association Aitzaz Ahsan while addressing the long march participants at Liaquat Bagh Chowk here on Friday.
Aitzaz said President Musharraf should watch the flood of lawyers and civil society members including leaders and supporters of political parties reaching the Parliament House on TV channels and read the writing on the wall.
The government has paid eight months salary to the judges and itself proved that they are on their duty and not deposed. He said that Pakistan People's Party (PPP) is participating in the long march but not with full determination as was expected by the people.Some PPP supporters including Member Central Executive Committee of PPP Qazi Sultan had installed a welcome camp for the participations of the long march on this occasion.
More than 1,200 vehicles including big containers, buses and wagons in which thousands of lawyers, civil society members and political supporters and leaders were sitting had entered Rawalpindi at Soan Adda. As the caravans arrived people and lawyers, present at the welcome camps, accorded them a rousing welcome. They showered rose petals on them on the occasion and raised slogans of 'Go Musharraf Go' and 'Chief Justice Zindabad'.
A long queue of buses covered the whole Murree Road from Mareer to Faizabad. Large gatherings of people on both sides of the Murree Road welcomed them on the occasion and raised anti-Musharraf slogans.
Common people of Rawalpindi city were offering drinking water, fast food and 'daal chawal' to the participants of the long march on the occasion. A number of young boys and girls were dancing in front of the buses on main Murree Road showing solidarity with Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.
All participants including traders of Rawalpindi city were making victory signs to each other on the occasion. A heavy contingent of Punjab police personnel moved along the caravans to avoid any untoward incident.
Agencies add: Earlier addressing several hundred protesters at Jhelum, about 100 km from Islamabad, Aitzaz Ahsan said, "We are out in the streets to save Pakistan."We want social justice, we want political justice and constitutional justice. Our movement is to change the system."
Hundreds of cars, jeeps, buses, motorcycles and trucks with thousand of long march participants were accorded a rousing welcome at Gujrat, Jhelum, Gujar Khan and Dina.The lawyers long march was led by Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan, Ali Ahmed Kurd, Munir A Malik and Hamid Khan while the caravan of political parties was led by Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan, Vice President Pakistan Muslim League Javed Hashmi and Saad Rafique.
Addressing the marchers in Gujar Khan, Ali Ahmed Kurd asked people to join the march for restoration of deposed judges.Up-to 1,000 youngsters of Balochistan are still missing for the last one year, he said.
Aitzaz Ahsan lauded the spirit and courage of lawyers and participants of the long march by beating the sizzling heat for a just cause. No one can suppress the spirit and motivation of lawyers for the reinstatement of deposed judges, he said.
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Three killed as Sh Rashid escapes attempt on life
By Shakeel Anjum
RAWALPINDI: Awami Muslim League (AML) Chief and a candidate for NA-55 (Rawalpindi) by-election Sheikh Rashid Ahmad was wounded, while three people — a guard and two party workers — were killed when four gunmen more |
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12 soldiers killed in South Waziristan
ISLAMABAD: Twelve soldiers embraced martyrdom while two others were injured in a clash with militants during the ongoing operation Rah-e-Nijat in South Waziristan Agency (SWA), the ISPR said on Monday.
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Plan to attack five-star hotel foiled
By our correspondent
LAHORE: The CIA police here on Monday claimed to have foiled an attack on Americans staying at a five-star hotel and arrested six terrorists, including a suicide bomber.
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Govt taking court for a ride
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Pakistan against arms race: Gilani
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Punjab-Sindh water row Centre’s intervention sought
By our correspondent
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The Punjab has sai more |
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French, Dutch fight over giving LNG to Pakistan
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Nine killed as no let-up in rains
By Nisar Mahmood
PESHAWAR: Nine people were killed and scores of others injured as heavy rains and snowfall lashed various parts of the country for the fourth consecutive day on Monday.
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Malik orders NUML closure as protest enters 5ht day
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Malik insists no Blackwater in Pakistan
By Muhammad Anis
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik while responding to an accusation from a PML-N parliamentarian told the National Assembly that Blackwater was not providing security to the president and the prime mini more |
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FBR gets list of properties rented out to foreigners
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ISLAMABAD: Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has received list of properties from Foreign Office, which were in use of foreigners in Islamabad, Karachi, Peshawar and Lahore, but these were not shown in annual tax more |
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Repealing of 17th Amendment
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The prime minis more |
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Three suspects held in Mohmand
By our correspondent
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No presence of Blackwater, DynCorp in Pakistan, NA body told
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Govt urged to take up water issue with India
By Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Q, Parliamentary leader in the National Assembly, Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat while urging the government to take up the issue of ‘water terrorism’ with New Delhi, has question more |
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Avalanche kills 17 Indian soldiers in held Kashmir
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Taliban defiant as Afghans flee ahead of assault
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Plea to freeze foreign accounts
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LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday ordered the federal government to submit a reply within four weeks on a petition seeking freezing of accounts in foreign banks and recovery of illegal assets accumu more |
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Attack on Sh Rashid
RAWALPINDI: The PML-N candidate for by-polls from NA-55, Malik Shakil Awan, has announced suspension of electioneering for a day to mourn the death of those killed in the attack on the office of his rival, Shei more |
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Indian forces to halt Kashmir rally outside UN office
HELD SRINAGAR: The held Kashmir authorities deployed thousands of police and troops on Monday to prevent a protest outside the UN office here over the recent killing of two teenage boys by Indian security force more |
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briefs...
20 die in Afghan floods, avalanches
KANDAHAR: Twenty people have died in floods and avalanches triggered by some of the heaviest rain and snow in Afghanistan for 50 years, an official said on Monday. At more |
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ISSN 1563-9479 
