Pakistani military ruler General Pervez Musharraf today said his government would not allow opposition parties to stage a political rally in Karachi tomorrow, MayDay.
"Those who are useless politicians should stay at home. We will not tolerate any instability", the official Associated Press of Pakistan quoted him as saying.
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"Don't hand over May Day to the politicians. They have playedtheir innings. They have played useless innings and have beengetting out on zero," he told a convention of newly elected localgovernment members.
GenMusharraf's statement came as Karachi police sealed the venue ofa pro-democracy rally planned for tomorrow after the opposition vowedto defy the ban on political gatherings.
Hesaid the government would support rallies in favour ofthe country but that those by politicians created disturbance. Witnesses said Karachi's main Nishtar Park, known for bigpolitical rallies in the past, was sealed off by hundreds of riotpolice.
Officials said a massive force of 15,000 police andparamilitarytroops was being deployed across the city to prevent a rally by the18-party Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD).
The ARD announced earlier this month it would rallyagainst theMusharraf government to press its demand for the early restorationof democracy.
GenMusharraf, who toppled prime minister Mr Nawaz Sharif's governmentin a military coup in October 1999, has banned outdoor politicalgatherings and suspended parliament and the constitution.
Vowing to give the country "true democracy,'' he haspromised elections before the third anniversary of his regime onOctober 12th, 2002, but no timetable has been set despite pressure from home and abroad.
AFP