Pakistan's Sharif Leads Demonstration to Capital, Defying Detention Order

2009-03-15 20:08:38

    ISLAMABAD, March 15 (Xinhua) --

Former Pakistani prime minister and opposition party chief Nawaz Sharif on Sunday began to lead the "long march" procession from his residence in Lahore to capital Islamabad, defying the detention order from the government.

    While addressing his supporters in Lahore, capital of eastern Punjab province, Sharif, chief of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), demanded removal of barriers on the way to Islamabad and warned that the party workers will remove them, the official Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported.

    Sharif said that police can not suppress the spirit behind the movement which they have launched for independence of judiciary.

    Sharif refused to abide by the detention order conveyed to him by the local administration, the APP said.

    Pakistan was plunged into a deeper political turmoil after Sharif was placed under house arrest ahead of a major protest destined to the capital.

    Pakistan police clashed with the protesters in Lahore on Sunday.

    TV footage showed that the police fired tear-gas shell to disperse the protesters, while the protesters threw stones to police in Lahore, the PML-N's power center.

    The lawyers and political activists kicked off their "long march" on March 12 and they are expected to reach Islamabad on March 16 and stage sit-in to urge to government to restore the judges sacked in 2007.

    The government has put in place security measures and the roads leading to Rawalpindi and Islamabad were blocked.

    Some 60 Supreme Court and High Courts judges were sacked in November 2007 when then-President Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency. Some of them took fresh oath of office while others including former Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry are yet to be restored.

Former Pakistani PM's movement restricted

2009-03-15 11:04:52  

    ISLAMABAD, March 15 (Xinhua) --

The government of Pakistan has restricted the movement of former Prime Minister and chief of a major opposition party Nawaz Sharif on Sunday, the private TV channel DAWN NEWS reported.

    The government restricted Sharif's movement for three days, said the report. It is a move with an apparent aim to foil the lawyers' "long march", which Sharif announced on Saturday evening to lead.

    Sharif, also chief of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), told supporters on Saturday evening that he would lead the "long march" on Sunday morning. He also said he could get arrested or put under house arrest.

    The PML-N workers and supporters clashed with police outside Sharif's residence and scores of them were detained, according to the DAWN NEWS.

    Meanwhile, Sharif's brother Shahbaz Sharif, who is also the top leader of PML-N and former chief minister of Punjab province, has managed to reach Rawalpindi, a garrison city near the capital.

    He was stopped near Kohnoor Mills in Rawalpindi, the DAWN NEWS quoted police sources as saying.

    The lawyers' "Long March" kicked off on March 12 and the crackdown on participants is still continuing as hundreds of political activists are detained.

    Local TV channel reports said that some prominent political leaders were stopped from boarding flights heading for the capital Islamabad.

    Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday termed the "Long March" as dangerous while talking to the top leaders of the ruling People's Party.

    However, Sharif on Saturday evening said the "Long March" would bring prosperity to the country. He also said that Pakistan needed a change and the change would certainly come.

    The lawyers' movement is aimed at securing the restoration of all the judges who were sacked in November 2007 when then-President Pervez Musharraf imposed a state of emergency.

    Sharif insisted that all the judges including deposed former Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry should be restored.

    Zardari has said he is ready to accept all the demands put forward by the PML-N except for the reinstatement of Chaudhry, local newspaper Daily Times reported on Sunday.

    Musharraf promulgated the "National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO)" when he declared a state of emergency in 2007. According to the NRO, the cases which the slain PPP leader Benazir Bhutto and Zardari were facing were removed.

    Analysts said that Chaudhry, once reinstated, might challenge the legitimacy of the NRO promulgated by Musharraf and it would put Zardari's fate at risk.

    Sharif has vowed to take part in the "Long March" and the proposed sit-in in Islamabad at all costs.

    The United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Saturday phoned both Zardari and Sharif to defuse the tension in the country. The Daily Times quoted sources as saying that Hillary tried to persuade Sharif to show flexibility in reconciling differences with Zardari so that issues could be settled amicably.    

    In a conversation with Zardari on the phone, Hillary assured that the United States would help the Pakistani government in stabilizing the country.

Former Pakistani PM Sharif renews call for people to join protest

2009-03-15 16:31:12  

    ISLAMABAD, March 15 (Xinhua) --

The former Pakistani Prime Minister and leader of a main opposition party Nawaz Sharif on Sunday renewed his call for people to join the lawyers' protesting movement.

    Addressing a news briefing at his residence in Lahore, capital city of eastern Punjab province, Sharif said he urged people to join the "long march" of the lawyers.

    The government has turned the country into a police station, Sharif said, adding that it was illegal to put him under house arrest.

    He also maintained that the courts and their decisions were "illegal and unconstitutional".

    As supporters and activists of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) led by Nawaz Sharif and other political parties joined the protest in Lahore, police tried to disperse them with tear gas but they failed.

    Sharif was expected to lead the long march on Sunday morning but he was put under house arrest for three days, according to local press reports.

    The lawyers initiated their "long march" destined at Islamabad on March 12 across the country. They plan to reach Islamabad on March 16 and stage sit-in for an indefinite period until the restoration of the judges sacked in November 2007 when then-President Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency.

Editor: Deng Shasha

Pakistan police clash with protesters amid rising crisis

2009-03-15 18:39:31  

    ISLAMABAD, March 15 (Xinhua) --

Pakistan police clashed with the protesters in eastern Pakistani city of Lahore on Sunday as the prevailing political crisis is worsening in the country.

    The protesters turned angry on Sunday after reports came that former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, also chief of the opposition party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), was put under house arrest and the government intensified crackdown on the lawyer's "long march."

    TV footage showed that the police fired tear-gas shell to disperse the protesters, while the protesters threw stones to police in Lahore, capital of eastern Punjab province, where the PML-N holds power.

    But the Advisor to the Prime Minister on Interior Affairs Rehman Malik Sunday denied reports about Sharif's detention.

    The lawyers and political activists kicked off their "long march" on March 12 and they are expected to reach Islamabad on March 16 and stage sit-in to urge to government to restore the judges sacked in 2007.

    Sharif was expected to lead the "long march" of lawyers on Sunday morning. The government has put in place security measures and the roads leading to Rawalpindi and Islamabad were blocked.

    Some 60 Supreme Court and High Courts judges were sacked in November 2007 when then-President Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency. Some of them took fresh oath of office while others including former Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry are yet to be restored.

Editor: Deng Shasha