Fmr PM Nawaz Sharif holds political rally; lawyers protest

(10 Dec 2007) ++QUALITY AS INCOMING++ Faisalabad 1. Wide shot of rally by supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif 2. Group of people waiting for Sharif to enter Faisalabad city 3. Sharif standing in car, waving to supporters 4. Various of people beating drums and dancing 5. Zoom in to Sharif waving as his car moves forward through 6. Wide of supporters, child being held up over the crowd ++NIGHT SHOTS++ 7. Sharif with other leaders on stage 8. Wide of supporters 9. SOUNDBITE: (Urdu) Nawaz Sharif, leader of Pakistan Muslim League-N and former prime minister: "Hand-in-hand we will play a very important role to free Pakistan from the hold of this army dictator. Tell me will there be a referendum on January 8? (Audience says yes) Will this nation vote in favour of Pakistan's right in the referendum? (Audience says yes) And we will get rid of the army dictator forever?" 10. Wide of audience with waving Sharif posters 11. Various of firework display Islamabad 11. Wide of crowd of protesting lawyers, journalists and social activists marching through city 12. Close of lawyers chanting 13. Mid shot of protesters chanting UPSOUND (Urdu) "Freedom!" 14. Wide of protesters flanked by police, marching through street 15. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sardar Asmat Ullah Khan, President of Rawalpindi High Court Bar Association: "They all supported us but at this juncture of the time they all have abandoned us. This is unfortunate and we condemn it." 16. Protesters 17. SOUNDBITE: (English) Absar Alam, correspondent, GEO TV: "They want to join the National Assembly in Pakistan and they want to block the passage of another amendment which would actually sanction or authorise Musharraf, what he has done on November 3rd. To block that kind of a move both Benazir and Nawaz Sharif want to be back in the National Assembly and they want to have the majority, if not even the majority they want to block a two-thirds majority by Musharraf and his allied parties." 18. Women protesters with megaphone, marching 19. Wide of protest march STORYLINE: Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif lashed out at President Pervez Musharraf as he went on the campaign trail Monday, disowned by other groups in his opposition coalition for breaking ranks on a threatened boycott of Pakistan's parliamentary elections. Claiming Musharraf has brought the country to the "verge of destruction" with his push to stay in power, Sharif vowed to turn the January 8 balloting into a referendum on legislators who support the president. At a rally in the eastern city of Faisalabad, he urged supporters to use their votes to "get rid of the army dictator forever". He also appeared to suggest a campaign of civil disobedience by telling police and government officials not to obey acts and orders implemented by the president, calling his rule illegitimate. Still, while all opposition parties want to rein in Musharraf's rule, unity in fighting that battle appears to be fragmenting in self-interest ahead of the election that will set the stage for who will be able to form the next government - and who will be left out. Sharif found himself forced to defend his party's decision Sunday to contest the vote, breaking with the rest of the 33-group All Parties Democratic Movement. The other parties said they will go ahead with the boycott and expelled his Pakistan Muslim League-N party. Sharif shifted the blame to Benazir Bhutto, also a prime minister twice before who, like Sharif, recently returned from years of living in exile. Bhutto said last Thursday her Pakistan People's Party would field candidates. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...