The Hindu : Jamaat chief arrested

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 22, 2002

International

International

Jamaat chief arrested

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD APRIL 21. Amidst signs of growing resistance to the April 30 presidential referendum, the Pakistan Government today detained the Jamaat-e-Islami chief, Quazi Hussain Ahmed, in Lahore even as his organisation was getting ready to launch an agitation against the referendum.

Though the political forces in the country are in no position to mount a serious challenge to the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, Gen. Musharraf had not expected such a resistance to the referendum move from such a wide spectrum of the society.

The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD), a conglomerate of 15 parties, including the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League, has announced a plan for a public rally on April 27 in Lahore.

The alliance of religious parties led by the Jamaat is likely to participate in the rally organised by the ARD.

Besides the strong anti-referendum statements by the mainstream and religious parties, the lawyers' community has also taken a strong view against referendum. Representatives of the Bar Associations from across the country held a rally in Lahore on Saturday to register their protest.

The rally was held despite warning from the police, who erected heavy barricades to prevent it from taking place. This was the first major protest after Gen. Musharraf took over power in October 1999.

The demonstration held near the Lahore High Court raised slogans against Gen. Musharraf, the military rule as well as the federal and provincial Law Ministers.

The lawyers raised slogans praising Justice Tariq Mahmood, who resigned from the Election Commission and the judge of the Baluchistan High Court, who protested against the proposed referendum. Earlier, a conference of Bar leaders urged the people to boycott the referendum and decided to hold rallies in different cities on April 25.

All eyes would be on the Supreme Court as the nine-member bench of the apex court begins hearing a spate of petitions on Monday questioning the legality of the referendum. Mr. Ahmed, who was the first to file petition in the Supreme Court, said in an interview to a local daily that the judiciary itself was on trial and the Supreme Court should gather courage to decide the constitutionality of the referendum. ``If it picks up courage and decide the matter in accordance with the Constitution, it will find the entire nation standing behind it,'' he was quoted as saying today by the local daily The Nation.

Besides questioning the legality of the referendum Mr. Ahmed's petition also challenged the legality of Gen. Musharraff holding office.

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