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| Musharraf accuses opposition of politicising judicial issue | | |
ISLAMABAD MAR 27
Faced with public outrage over the suspension of the Chief Justice, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf today accused opposition parties of politicising a Constitutional and judicial issue and creating a law and order situation in the country.
"Yesterday's strike by opposition parties flopped as the people did not support them, knowing that they (the Opposition) are politicising a constitutional and judicial issue and wanting to create a law and order situation," Musharraf told a public meeting in Rawalpindi organised by the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q.
Pakistan's main opposition alliance yesterday organised massive rallies across the country, braving a police swoop on hundreds of activists.
Thousands of supporters of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy staged demonstrations in Lahore, Quetta, Multan and Peshawar besides other small towns against the suspension of Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry by Musharraf on charges of misuse of office and misconduct.
Musharraf said he had brought true democracy to Pakistan, permitting a free media.
"This is true democracy. We have given unprecedented freedom to media and opened up television channels," he said, adding that some elements wanted to subvert the process as they did not want to see the democratic system flourish.
"The assemblies will be completing their tenure for the first time; local government system is functioning vibrantly; women are getting their due rights and status and the rights of minorities are being protected," he said.
The President also referred to the human rights groups and the Supreme Court taking up the cases of 141 missing persons who were believed to have been abducted by the intelligence agencies.
"Let me tell you that government does not do these things. But I know that boys and young men were being misled by some militant groups to conduct jehad. I am happy that the courts are taking notice of this," he said.
He later left for Riyadh to take part in the Arab League summit.
Musharraf said "the summit has special significance as it is in fact a continuation of the new initiative by Pakistan aimed at resolving the problems in the Middle East and for harmony in the Muslim World."
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