APDM to resume boycott campaign

Published January 2, 2008

ISLAMABAD, Jan 1: The All Parties’ Democratic Movement (APDM) has announced that it is resuming its campaign for boycott of the coming election.

APDM convener Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Jamaat-i-Islami Qazi Hussain Ahmed said at a news conference after a meeting here on Tuesday that the movement had decided to include the option of calling for a march on Islamabad as part of the campaign against President Pervez Musharraf’s rule.

The APDM criticised Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leader Nawaz Sharif for taking a decision of boycotting the election and then reversing it within three days.

The alliance’s leaders expressed shock and sorrow over the decision of the Pakistan People’s Party and the PML-N to take part in the election at this juncture said the APDM would do its best to foil the ‘illegitimate’ process.

The Tehrik-i-Istiqlal led by Asghar Khan has also decided to join the APDM.

The meeting was attended, among others, by Rasool Bakhsh Paleejo, Abid Hasan Minto, Abdur Rahim Mandokhel and Hamid Khan.

The APDM leaders said it was time for the opposition parties to gather on a platform to demand Gen (retd) Musharraf’s resignation, formation of a national government and fair and free election under an independent election commission.

They said a just investigation into the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto could not be held under the president.

Mr Achakzai said the APDM was determined to take forward its agenda of getting the sacked judges reinstated, removing President Musharraf and transfer of power to a genuinely elected party or alliance.

The MMA chief said the charter of demands prepared by the APDM and the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy still remained the basis of cooperation among all the opposition parties.

He the APDM would continue its efforts for national consensus aimed at ousting the president and transfer of power to elected representatives of the people.

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