UK lawyers, Human Right groups ask
Musharraf to lift emergency, restore freedoms
LONDON: Over one hundred representatives of lawyers’ bodies, human rights groups and journalists descended on the High Commission of Pakistan on Wednesday evening to express their solidarity with the lawyersà community and political parties fighting for the restoration of democracy and the Constitution.
The demonstration was called by the Amnesty International, Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (BHRC), the National Union of Journalists and many other non-governmental organizations.
Sohail Warraich, the Amnesty InternationalÃs specialist on Pakistani affairs and one of the organizers of the protest, told The News the aim of the protest was to highlight the concern of the civil society and to show support for lawyers, media workers and political activists in Pakistan.
He said the joint protest was organized against the arbitrary detentions, to call for the restoration of fundamental rights and justice, including freedom of the media, and to give voice to the outrage at the grave threats to human rights in Pakistan.
He said that emergency rule was not acceptable because it was in clear breach of the constitutional regulations of Pakistan and it posed a serious threat to human rights and democracy and only strengthened the hands of an unelected military regime. He said Musharraf had acted immorally and dishonestly by curbing the civil rights of poor Pakistani people who wanted to take part in a transparent and democratic system.
“Musharraf is using the threat of Islamic militancy to perpetuate his rule and under the pretext of fighting terror, he is actually attacking the independent judiciary, violating media freedoms and suppressing all sections of civil society.
“He is forgetting that the problems of extremism and terrorism can only be addressed by democratically-elected governments.
“With his whole current and might going against the civil society, how can he say that he is honest to help bring democracy in Pakistan,” he said.
Sohail Warraich said the Amnesty International would continue its action against the military rule in Pakistan until the restoration of democracy. “Democracy will not mean anything without the independence of the judiciary and the restoration of all deposed judges.
We are calling for the unconditional release of all the detainees, the end of curb on media and political activities of political parties.”
Sohail Warraich said that civil societies around the world were outraged at the atrocities in Pakistan but they was also equally angry at the double standards of the United Nations Security Council which was swift to condemn the military action in Burma but dumb in the case of Pakistan.
Calling for the suspension of military aid to Pakistan and boycott of its Army, Sohail Warraich questioned: “When principles of human liberty and democracy apply to all nations, why is the Pakistani dictator being given different treatment? Is this because Musharraf is a partner in the so-called War on Terror and the meaning of democracy changes from nation to nation, depending on their utility?”
In an e-mail sent to The News, Mark Muller, QC, Chair of the BHRC, said: “The independence of the judiciary is a fundamental tenet of the rule of law and a core element in any democracy. So too is the existence of an independent Bar and legal profession.
As such, the BHRC has watched with increasing alarm at the events unfolding in Pakistan. It deplores the recent unconstitutional removal and detention of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the unprovoked attacks on lawyers by Pakistan’s security authorities in the wake of protests against the imposition of the state of emergency.”
A petition presented to the High Commission demanded full respect for freedom of expression in Pakistan, the release of all the detainees, the independence of the judiciary, justice for the victims of enforced disappearance and no introduction of military tribunals for civilians.
Source: The News
Date:11/16/2007
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