The Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) was formed in late 2000 in response to "Musharraf's military dictatorship" (Political Parties of the World 2005 2005, 457) and "call[ed] for an end to military rule" (Freedom House 2005, 479). It is the second largest opposition alliance in Pakistan next to the six-party alliance existing under the name Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) (Indo-Asian News Service 27 Apr. 2005). The aims of the ARD include the following:

(1) to restore democracy (PakTribune 16 Feb. 2005; PPI 5 Dec. 2003);

(2) to restore the 1973 constitution (PakTribune 16 Feb. 2005; Dawn 9 Oct. 2003);

(3) to remove the Legal Framework Order (PPI 5 Dec. 2003);

(4) to remove President Musharraf from the military if he is going to continue in the role of President (PPI 5 Dec. 2003).

According to one newswire, "[t]he ARD is inherently unwieldy, grouping parties that do not get along and that have only their opposition to General Musharraf in common" (Economist Intelligence Unit 24 Nov. 2004).

Some sources indicate that the ARD is composed of 15 political parties, which include the Pakistan People's Party - Parliamentarians (PPP-P) and the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz group (PML-N) (Political Parties of the World 2005 2005, 457; Gulf News 2 Nov. 2003; Bureau Chief 8 Sept. 2005). However, other sources reported that the ARD is comprised of 18 political parties (Freedom House 2005, 479; Gulf News 1 Feb. 2003).

In correspondence to the Research Directorate, the Bureau Chief of an independent newspaper, who is based in Peshawar, indicated that in addition to the PML-N and the PPP-P, the Pakistan Democratic Party headed by Nawabzada Mansoor Ali Khan and the Pakistan Muslim League (Qayoom group) are also important components of the ARD (8 Sept. 2005).

Pre-2003 news reports indicated that the ARD also included the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the Awami National Party (ANP) (Dawn 4 Dec. 2000; The Hindu 5 Dec. 2000; Asia Times 10 Jan. 2002), and the Pakistan Democratic Front (The Hindu 5 Dec. 2000). The remaining parties were reported to include "ethnic and nationalist groups and small religious organizations which have a history of sharp political and ideological differences" (AP 4 Dec. 2000). A 7 December 2000 article reported that the Balochistan-based Jamhoori Watan Party was expected to join the Alliance (Dawn), although information on whether this party actually joined the ARD could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. The ANP (Dawn 1 Jan. 2002; The Tribune 12 Jan. 2002), the MQM and the Labour Party, Pakistan (LPP) reportedly departed from the Alliance in 2001 (ibid.; The Pakistan Newswire 6 Nov. 2001)

Additional and more current information on the names of the member parties of the ARD could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

In November 2003, the ARD held 78 seats in the 342-seat National Assembly (Gulf News 2 Nov. 2003), of which 18 belonged to the PML-N and 59 belonged to the PPP-P (Dawn 9 Oct. 2003).

The first leader of the ARD was Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, who was also the leader of the Pakistan Democratic Party (PDP) (Political Parties of the World 2005 2005, 457). Following Khan's death in September 2003, a new position of president was established to "balance the two major components of the alliance," the PPP-P and the PML-N (ibid.). Accordingly, on 8 October 2003, Javed Hashmi, acting leader of the PML-N was elected president of the ARD, while Makhdoom Amin Fahim of the PPP-P was elected chairman of the ARD (ibid.; Dawn 9 Oct. 2003). In March 2005, Fahim was reported to be the chairman of the ARD (PakTribune 7 Mar. 2005) and in January 2005, Hashmi continued to be the leader of the ARD (International FIDH Jan. 2005, 65).

On 29 October 2003, Hashmi was detained on sedition and mutiny charges after reading and distributing to journalists a letter critical of Musharaf, which was allegedly written by members of the military (International FIDH Jan. 2005, 65; PakTribune 11 Apr. 2004; ACHR 21 Apr. 2004; BBC 12 Apr. 2004; HRW 2005). The letter "called for an inquiry into alleged corruption in the army's senior ranks and demanded a judicial investigation into a Pakistani military operation in Indian-administered Kashmir in 1999" (BBC 12 Apr. 2004; ACHR 21 Apr. 2004). During his initial period of detention, Hashmi alleged that he had been tortured, resulting in a court order that he be removed from police custody and jailed on judicial remand (The News 13 Nov. 2003). Following a five-month trial during which the letter was determined to have been forged, Hashmi was convicted on seven counts and on 13 April 2004, was sentenced to 23 years' imprisonment (BBC 12 Apr. 2004; ACHR 21 Apr. 2004; PakTribune 11 Apr. 2004; International FIDH Jan. 2005, 65). Hashmi was also ordered to pay a fine of RS 42,000 (PakTribune 11 Apr. 2004). However, since Hashmi was found guilty of seven charges and was given seven different prison terms that will run concurrently, he will, in effect, serve only seven years' imprisonment (ibid.; ACHR 21 Apr. 2004; BBC 12 Apr. 2004). According to the Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR), the trial

[v]iolates international standards on due process of law and fair trial. [Hashmi] was not given time and opportunity to prove his innocence. The trial proceedings were conducted in secret in the Adiyala Jail. His family members or press were not allowed [to be present] (21 Apr. 2004; see also BBC 12 Apr. 2004).

The ACHR described the circumstances surrounding Hashmi's arrest and conviction in the following manner:

...Hashmi became a thorn in the flesh of General Parvez Musharraf for vehemently opposing the Legal Frame Work Order of 21 August 2001 and the 17th Constitutional Amendment Bill. The ARD under Mr Hashmi's leadership was preventing its passage and President Musharraf could not get the imprimatur of the National Assembly on his decrees and powers. After sending ... Hashmi to jail, the government adopted the 17th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003 by two-third's majority on 29 December 2003 and restored article 58(2)(b) of the Constitution. In effect, it empowers President Musharraf to sack a prime minister and dissolve the National Assembly, to seek a vote of confidence from parliament and the four provincial assemblies to sanctify dictatorship and allows him to remain army chief for one more year (21 Apr. 2004).

Articles published in October 2003 and in February 2005 reported that the secretary-general of the ARD was Iqbal Zafar Jhagra (Dawn 9 Oct. 2003; ibid. 23 Feb. 2005); in October 2003 the vice-president and the candidate for the deputy opposition leader position of the ARD was Tehmina Daultana, while the information secretary of the ARD was Syed Zafar Ali Shah (ibid. 9 Oct. 2003). More current information on the names of high-level ARD members could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

Although the PML-N and the PPP-P are the two largest political parties of the ARD (Gulf News 2 Nov. 2003; Freedom House 2005, 479), Freedom House argues that Musharaf was "able to successfully neutralize Sharif [Nawaz, leader of PML-N] and [Benazir] Bhutto [Leader of PPP-P] ... through a combination of court convictions and exile" (ibid.). However, according to the ACHR, the ARD "has become the most vociferous critic of the military rule both inside and outside the National Assembly" (21 Apr. 2004).

Political Parties of the World 2005 states that Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, ARD's first leader, was successful in "bridging the bitter rivalry" between the PPP-P and the PML-N and also managed to "enlist ... the partial co-operation" of the MMA (2005, 457). For example, whereas in October 2003, PPP-P leaders resented the decision to appoint Hashmi as president of the ARD, since the PML-N had far fewer members in the national assembly, than did the PPP-P and PPP-P leaders resented the fact that of six important posts within the ARD, five were being held by the PML-N (Dawn 9 Oct. 2003), by August 2004, Benazir Bhutto leader of the PPP-P and Sharif Nawaz leader of the PML-N, along with the ARD and the MMA, nominated Hashmi as a joint opposition candidate (ibid. 28 Aug. 2004). In February 2005, Bhutto and Nawaz met in Jeddah and established a three-point agreement for promoting democracy in Pakistan, to be pursued jointly by the PML-N and the PPP-P (PakTribune 29 Apr. 2005; Dawn 23 Feb. 2005). The two political figures agreed to pursue the following:

(1) [to] restore the 1973 constitution (PakTribune 29 Apr. 2005);

(2) [to] "grant of provincial autonomy to the provinces as laid down in the constitution" (ibid.);

(3) [to] hold early elections under an independent election commission (ibid.; BBC 10 Feb. 2005).

Additional information on the status of the relationship between the PML-N and the PPP-P could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR). 21 April 2004. "Political Opponents Under the Jackboot in Pakistan." http://www.ecoi.net/pub/bp124_ACHRF18-04.doc [Accessed 6 Sept. 2005]

Asia Times Online [Hong Kong]. 10 January 2002. Syed Saleem Shahzad. "In Pakistan, the Games Begin." http://www.atimes.com/ind-pak/DA10Df01.html [Accessed 8 Mar. 2002]

Associated Press (AP). 4 December 2000. "Pakistani Opposition Parties Form New Alliance for Democracy." (NEXIS)

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). 10 February 2005. "Bhutto, Sharif in Democracy Deal." http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/4254355.stm [Accessed 6 Sept. 2005]

_____. 12 April 2004. "Pakistan Jails Opposition Leader." http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/3619745.stm [Accessed 6 Sept. 2005]

Bureau Chief, Peshawar. 8 September 2005. Correspondence.

Dawn [Karachi]. 23 February 2005. "ARD, MMA to Discuss Modalities Today: Anti-Government Drive." http://www.dawn.com/2005/02/23/nat1.htm [Accessed 7 Sept. 2005]

_____. 28 August 2004. "Hashmi Says He was Deprived of Constitutional Right." http://www.dawn.com [Accessed 30 Aug. 2004]

_____. 9 October 2003. Amir Wasim. "Fahim Elected ARD Chief." http://www.dawn.com [Accesssed 9 Oct. 2003]

_____. 1 January 2002. M. Ismail Khan. "NWFP: On the Frontline Once Again." http://www.dawn.com/events/overview2001/overview4.htm [Accessed 13 Mar. 2002]

_____. 7 December 2000. "JWP May Join ARD on 10th." http://www.dawn.com/2001/12/07/nat6.htm [Accessed 13 Mar. 2002]

_____. 4 December 2000. Faraz Hashmi."Caretaker Setup for Election Demanded: New Alliance Launched." http://www.dawn.com [Accessed 5 Dec. 2000]

Economist Intelligence Unit, Executive Briefing. 24 November 2004. "Pakistan: Political Realignment?" (Dialog)

Freedom House. 2005. "Pakistan." Freedom in the World 2005. http://www.freedomhouse.org/research/freeworld/2005/Kuwait-PNG.pdf [Accessed 6 Sept. 2005]

Gulf News. 2 November 2003. Shahid Hussain. "Opposition Legal Team to Defend Hashmi." (Dialog)

_____. 1 February 2003. Shahid Hussain. "U.S. Attack Plan Denounced." (Dialog)

The Hindu [New Delhi]. 5 December 2000. "New Alliance in Pak." (Asia Intelligence Wire/NEXIS)

Human Rights Watch (HRW). January 2005. "Country Summary: Pakistan." http://hrw.org/wr2k5/pdf/pakist.pdf [Accessed 6 Sept. 2005]

Indo-Asian News Service. 27 April 2005. "Is PPPP Going to Break away from PPP?" (Dialog)

International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH). January 2005. "In Mala Fide: Freedoms of Expression, of Association and of Assembly in Pakistan." No. 408/2. http://www.fidh.org/IMG/pdf/pk408a-2.pdf [Accessed 6 Sept. 2005]

The News [Islamabad]. 13 November 2003. "Detained Pakistan Oposition Leader Jailed After Torture Complaint." (BBC International Reports/Dialog)

The Pakistan Newswire. 6 November 2001. Untitled. (Pakistan Press International/NEXIS)

Pakistan Press International (PPI). 5 December 2003. "Politics: ARD Vows to Continue Protest In and Outside the Parliament." (Dialog)

PakTribune. 29 April 2005. "ARD Struggling Not to Grab Power: Nawaz Sharif." http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=103479 [Accessed 6 Sept. 2005]

_____. 7 March 2005. "No Deal Between Govt, Opp Is Underway: Fahim." http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=96688 [Accessed 6 Sept. 2005]

_____. 16 February 2005. "MMA, ARD Agree to Start Joint Drive Against Musharraf's Uniform." http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=94281 [Accessed 6 Sept. 2005]

_____. 11 April 2004. "Hashmi Sentenced 23 Years of Imprisonment in Sedition Case." http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=61425 [Accessed 6 Sept. 2005]

Political Parties of the World 2005. 2005. 6th Edition. Edited by Bogdan Szajkowski. "Pakistan." London: John Harper Publishing.

The Tribune [Chandigarh]. 12 January 2002. Syed Nooruzzaman. "Window on Pakistan: Of Religio-Political Realignments." http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020112/world.htm#2 [Accessed 8 Mar. 2002]

Europa 2005

Political Handbook of the World 2000-2002

Internet sites, including: Alliance for Reform and Democracy in Asia, Amnesty International (AI), Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2004, Daily Times, European Country of Origin Information Network (ECOI), The Story of Pakistan.