LAHORE: Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto today [Feb 22] said his Government was adhering to the constitutional process by referring the decision to ban the National Awami Party to the Supreme Court, and if the other parties also believed in the Constitution and not in terrorism ... they should follow the constitutional course. ...

The Prime Minister said if the other party had a strong case why should they be reluctant to go to the Supreme Court. However, irrespective of the fact whether the case was strong or weak, a principle was involved ... if the Government had taken such an action undertheConstitution,boththeGovernment and the party concerned should submit themselves to the Supreme Court.

Maintaining that this was a constitutional Government, which referred the matter to the highest judicial authority, he hoped that the other party would also follow the constitutional procedure. `Let us see how much they respect democracy when it comes to application of democratic methods and norms,` he added. ... Asked about the proposed call for hartal on Kashmir issue, he said he would give a call with sufficient notice. Staff correspondent