The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Punjab chapter held a protest against the Lahore High Court (LHC) verdict on President Asif Ali Zardari’s dual office from Nasir Bagh to Charing Cross on Sunday. The rally was led by PPP Punjab President Imtiaz Safdar Warriach, General Secretary Samiullah Khan, Federal Environment Minister and PPP Lahore President Samina Khalid Ghurki and other leaders. Participants were carrying party flags and chanted slogans in favour of President Zardari, who is also co-chairman of the party. Addressing the rally in front of the Punjab Assembly, Warriach said that some forces were busy in conspiracies against the PPP leadership and wanted to limit the political achievements of the PPP-led government and progressive activities of President Zardari.
He said that PPP founder and former PM Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was judicially murdered by some anti-democratic forces and these elements once again wanted to judicially confine the PPP leadership in shape of Zardari but they would not succeed. The PPP Punjab president said that party workers would not accept any decision, which was against the basic democratic rights provided by the constitution and laws of the country. He said that President Zardari was elected by parliament and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had given permission to Zardari to contest election of the president after verifying his documents, so the court decision would not be acceptable for any democratic citizen of the country.
Warriach, who is also a lawyer, said that under the constitution and by-laws of the country, there was no restriction on the president to meet politicians and political workers because he is also a part of parliament. Talking to journalists, Warriach said that as a political worker, holding rallies was a right but it was not against any court. He said that judges of the Supreme Court were also restored by lawyers by holding rallies and PPP workers were holding rallies in favour of party Co-Chairman President Zardari and nobody could stop them from using their basic right.
The PPP held the rally in two parts. Warriach along with other party leaders including Samiullah Khan, Usman Malik and Mian Ayub started the rally from Nasir Bagh to Masjid-e-Shahuda where some other activists led by Samina Khalid Ghurki, Dr Fakharuddin Chaudhry, Hasnat Shah, Hafiz Ikhlaq, Umar Misbahur Rehman, Faiza Malik, Sajida Mir, Uzma Bukhari, Aslam Gill, Ashraf Gill, Afnan Butt and others were already protesting in favour of dual office of President Zardari. Participants peacefully dispersed after the rally while chanting slogans in favour of President Zardari including “Qadam Barhao Asif Zardari, Qaum Tumhare Saath Hai”.
