PPP demands acquittal of political leaders

KARACHI, Dec 11: The Pakistan People's Party has demanded of the government to immediately set free all political leaders arrested under the guise of accountability.

According to a press release issued on Monday, the demand was raised during the second-day meeting of the party's coordination committee held at the Bilawal House.

The meeting was chaired by the PPP's vice chairman, Makhdoom Amin Faheem, and attended, among others, by Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Nisar Khuro, Nawab Yousuf Ali Talpur, Taj Haider, Munawwar Hussain Suharwardy and Khurshid Hassan Shah. It reviewed in detail the fast-changing legal and constitutional developments taking place in the country, as a result of the recent arbitrary action of the regime.

The meeting reiterated its demand that the only way to wriggle out of the present crisis lay in the transfer of power to the genuine representatives of the masses.

The government had lost its moral stand to remain in power after allowing safe exit to the former premier, Nawaz Sharif, and his whole family, to Saudi Arabia, while in the wake of this unilateral decision, the retributory acts resorted by the government against the political elements had also lost credibility, the meeting noted.

CLEMENCY: Meanwhile, the husband of the former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, and ex-senator, Asif Ali Zardari, never sought clemency from government and would not leave the country, said a spokesman.

According to a press release, a spokesman for Asif Ali Zardari vehemently denied the propaganda of the government that the ex-senator was also leaving the country after striking an agreement with the government.

He said that Mr Zardari had not committed any crime for which he would have to seek clemency from the present government.

Mr Zardari was implicated in more than twelve cases during the former PM, now exiled, Mian Nawaz Sharif, and in a majority of the cases, he had been granted bail by the judiciary, the spokesman said.

However, in one case wherein Asif Zardari and his wife, the former PM were convicted, an appeal was pending with the Supreme Court of Pakistan, he added.

"Mr Zardari is not a coward. In his opinion, politicians lose credibility in public if they leave their country during crisis," the spokesman added.-PPI