I am sick and tired of you –and all your party stalwarts- constantly drumming into our ears your ideas about the supremacy of The Parliament. I have yet to hear you talk so forcefully about the supremacy of The Constitution or even of the supremacy of The People as the Bhutto’s used to do .More over you even flout your own so fondly repeated slogan by continuing to take every meaningful decision outside the parliament !

What may I ask was so wrong with roti, kapra aur makan slogan given by Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto? Has it become so impossible to achieve that you conveniently discarded it and adopt the hallow and patently false one you now profess? What is Parliament except a reflection and representative of the people who elected it –and pledged to uphold The Constitution of Pakistan as reflected in that will. Where in this entire concept do you see a supremacy of Parliament? We need to remind you –for you and your party seems to have forgotten - that the Parliament is subservient to the Constitution and a servant of the people.

We also need to remind you that politicians (or parliament) are only one constitutional pillar of the state; the others are the judiciary and the executive. Both the later had been dealt the death blow by our last dictator. Yet while the people looked on silently at the murder of the civil services, the ouster of Ch. Iftikhar and his judges was quite another matter.

With one voice, the nation joined our lawyers in demanding that the disastrous consequences of this grievous blow to our judiciary, be effaced by the reinstatement of the Chief Justice as well as all honorable judges packed off along with him. It was the people’s movement in support of this demand which shook the dictator and his allies-and opened the door for your party’s deal with Musharraf.

Even your departed leader Benazir Bhutto acknowledged this, and promised a restoration of the Judiciary if elected to power. You yourself have signed countless agreements to this effect, starting with The Murree declaration – but are dilly dallying when it comes to the actual restoration.

Mr. Zardari it is very clear that the deal you had with the dictator has fallen through. It did not work out, and he has left the scene in a most cowardly manner without even attempting to face the charges against him. Those who were empowered by him are resigning and going away too. The people are now demanding his trial, but your government gives him immunity!! Just as he did not represent the voice of the people neither do you. Just as he flouted the will of the people, so do you. Even with all his patronage and the sympathy vote generated due to the shocking demise of Mohtrama Shaheed Benazir Bhutto you failed to get a convincing majority to form a strong government at the centre. Some of us even then suspected that you represented your masters voice-rather then the will of the people.

The mandate you claim is a gift of a dictator who is gotten rid of. Moreover with your obstinate refusal to honor the will of the people you have even betrayed the trust of the one’s who voted for you. It is now highly doubtful if PPP can be considered to represent the will of the majority of this country. You are thus morally unqualified to govern this country even before you start.

Just as Musharraf resigned ‘in the national interest’, the honorable thing for you to do now would be to resign, and face a re-election. This continued dilly dallying is creating an instability in national politics and economy which we can ill afford.

A free and fair election at this stage will perhaps bring home to all most clearly what the people want. My final advise to you either this or accept the peoples will and restore the Judiciary immediately. Let them decide if Musharraf needs to be tried.

The alternative to a restoration of the Chief Justice - for you and the country - are too horrendous to contemplate.

Hassan Abbas

Courtosy of Teath Maestro

Click to Enlarge the Video for Full Screen.

People’s Resistance
Press Release - 18 August 2008

People’s Resistance attributes the resignation of retired General Pervez Musharraf as President of Pakistan to the long and untiring struggle of the Lawyers, students, civil society organizations and political groups. The civil society and media’s struggle against the arbitrary rule of General Musharraf forced the ruling democratic coalition to start the process of impeachment that eventually led to his resignation.

Though we celebrate his resignation, we call for the fair trial of General Musharraf for the long list of crimes against the people of Pakistan including removal of judiciary, abrogating the constitution, forced disappearances, torture and deaths in custody of citizens especially from Baluchistan, and for killing people in Tribal Areas of Pakistan.

In this vein the People’s Resistance demands the immediate restoration of the judiciary to its November 02 composition, as it was before the promulgation of the PCOs suspending the constitution.

Here is a selection of Musharraf Address to the Nation Before His Resignations

“After viewing the situation and consulting legal advisers and political allies, with their advice I have decided to resign,” a grim-faced Musharraf said, backed by Pakistani flags and a portrait of the country’s founder.

“I leave my future in the hands of people.”"Not a single charge in the impeachment can stand against me,” Musharraf said. “No charge can be proved against me because I never did anything for myself, it was all for Pakistan.”

He said that there was now law and order in the country, that human rights and democracy had been improved and that Pakistan was now an crucial country internationally.

“On the map of the world, Pakistan is now an important country, by the grace of Allah,” he said.

The President dismissed the “false allegations” being leveled against him by the coalition government and said he was neither afraid of the charges against him, nor shy to face these through impeachment.

“For me it is always Pakistan first”, Musharraf said and added that politics of confrontation must come to an end and instead a policy of reconciliation be pursued.

He stressed immediate measure be taken to arrest the economic downturn and said the nation has the resilience to withstand any challenge.

He said it was not a time to show bravado, but to get serious as country’s dignity was at stake, the office of Presidency would bear the brunt.

“For 44 years I have safeguarded the country and will continue to do so.”

“No charge sheet can stand against me. Not even a single charge can be proven against me as I have full trust in Allah Almighty and I did everything with the belief of Pakistan First.”

The President said he took all decisions with consultation, took all stakeholders onboard, on the most difficult decisions.

“All stake holders, whether they were soldiers, politicians, bureaucrats, members of civil society, Ulema were consulted in all decisions. “I have nothing to worry about the charge sheet,” Musharraf said.

Listen Audio Adress by the ex-President of Pakistan Mr. (rtd) Gn. Musharraf

Listen Audio Adress