International

Pak. lifts ban on party rallies

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD June 25. Political parties in Pakistan have some thing to cheer about as the military Government has decided to lift the ban on `political activities' with effect from second week of July. The Pakistan Law Minister, Khalid Ranjha, has announced that political parties would be free to hold rallies to propagate their point of view with the unveiling of the schedule for the general elections to the national and provincial Assemblies scheduled in October.

Lifting of the ban on holding rallies and demonstrations has been one of the major demands of the mainstream political parties in Pakistan for over two years now. The ban was imposed on the eve of visit of the then U.S. President, Bill Clinton, to Pakistan and has stayed on since then.

The standard refrain of the managers of the Musharraf Government on the demand for lifting of political activities, has been that such a measure would adversely affect the ambitious agenda of the Government on the political, social and economic front. The Musharraf regime had enforced the ban so strictly that the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD), grouping of parties seeking an end to military rule, was not allowed to hold scheduled rallies twice in Lahore.

he rallies were to coincide with the Pakistan Day observed on March 23 every year.

The only exception was when in the month of April this year when the ARD was allowed to hold a rally in Lahore to counter the nation-wide campaign of the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, in support of his Presidential referendum.

In contrast to the stringent enforcement of the ban rule with regard to the mainstream parties, the Musharraf Government was liberal in permitting the religious parties and groups in staging public rallies and demonstrations.

Shock over

Minister's suicide

Meanwhile, political observers and authorities in Pakistan are baffled over the suicide committed by Omar Asghar Khan, who was till recently a Minister in the Musharraf Government. Mr. Khan had quit the Government and founded a political party, Qaumi Jamhoori Party, to try his luck in the promised general elections to the national and provincial assemblies in October.

Reports from Karachi suggest that Mr. Khan hanged himself from the ceiling fan.

There was some confusion earlier in the day as a wire agency had said he was shot dead by unidentified gunmen.

The Karachi police have recovered a note left behind by Mr. Khan in his own handwriting. It read: "To all my dear ones. I could not take it any more. Please excuse me. I'm doing it on my own. No one else is to be blamed.''

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