ISLAMABAD, July 9: The All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM) has decided to launch a protest movement to pressurise the government to fulfil its promises of reinstating the deposed judges and initiating impeachment proceedings against President Pervez Musharraf.

Briefing newsmen after a meeting of the APDM central committee here on Wednesday, Jamaat-i-Islami leader Liaquat Baloch said it had been decided in principle that a movement would be launched from Aug 14 to highlight the rights of the poor people, subject to approval by a meeting of the heads of parties in the APDM on July 28.

The committee rejected the ‘constitutional package’ prepared by the government and demanded immediate reinstatement of the deposed judges through an executive order.

Mr Baloch said the APDM would not to allow Gen (retd) Musharraf to address a joint session of parliament and would hold a sit-in on the Constitution Avenue and encircle the Parliament House if he decided to do that.

He said the movement would not let Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar address a meeting of the People’s Lawyers Forum in Lahore by holding a sit-in around the venue. The APDM rejected the increase in the number of Supreme Court judges made through the Finance Bill.

It asserted that the move was aimed at giving legitimacy to and strengthening the judges who had taken oath under the Provisional Constitution Order and those later appointed by the president.

It decided continue support for the lawyers’ movement.

The APDM criticised the ruling parties’ alliance with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and said that it was providing crutches to the crumbling president as was evident during his recent visit to Karachi.

It said the government had failed to fulfil its promises of providing relief to people and no point of the 100-day programme had been implemented.

It said US dictates were still being followed and Pakistani security forces were pushed to fight in the tribal areas.

It maintained that the government had not taken any step to give autonomy to the provinces.

It said people were facing immense hardship because of unprecedented inflation and unemployment. The APDM said that instead of allowing freedom of movement to scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, a controversy had been created which could have adverse affects on the country’s nuclear establishment.