Sign Petition: Let there be Peace

An important action alert - read below for more info, and take action at:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/503288150

Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan's opposition leader, has been assassinated at a political rally. As violence escalates, the Pakistani people continue to be at great risk of further human rights abuses. Sign this petition and call for an immediate end to violence in Pakistan.

Benazir Bhutto - A Tragic Day

Many Pakistanis did not agree with her political agendas, her views and may not necessarily have voted for her in the upcoming elections, but the majority feels the sorrow and share in the grief with her family on this tragic day. She was a mother to her kids, a wife to her husband and former Prime Minister of the people of Pakistan. Her legacy will live for a long time in the country of her birth.

Today, is truly a sad day in the history of Pakistan. The whole nation is in a state of shock and in mourning one of her own. People are huddling in front of television screens, FM radios, and glued to the Internet in hope of trying to figure out and piece together what has happened today in Rawalpindi. A single suicide attack has changed the way politics and quite possibly the political future of the country.

It remains to be seen if Pakistan can recover amicably from the current crisis and move on. This young nation has seen many devastations and horrible political instabilities in the past sixty years. Will this be the defining moment for the citizens or will it further create chaos and tragedy? As Pakistanis, we can only hope and plead for peace and calmness. It is time for the nation to come together and find a meaning out of this tragic moment.

Jeo Pakistan, Jeenay Doe Pakistan ko! (Live Pakistan, Let live Pakistan)

For more information:
http://www.allvoices.com/benazir-bhutto-is-dead
http://www.allvoices.com/people/Benazir-Bhutto

A SIT-IN AND HUNGER STRIKE

THE STUDENTS ACTION COMMITTEE (SAC) IS HOLDING A SIT-IN AND HUNGER STRIKE FOR RELEASE OF THE 10 STUDENTS AND CIVIL SOCIETY MEMBERS ('THE GOR 10') ARRESTED OUTSIDE JUSTICE SHAHID SIDDIQUI'S HOUSE IN GOR LAHORE -

THE PROTEST IS OUTSIDE THE LAHORE PRESS CLUB 11 AM ONWARDS TODAY (SATURDAY 8 DECEMBER).

PLEASE ADD YOUR STRENGTH TO THIS SIT-IN. THE MOVEMENT WILL GET TOUGHER, AND OUR ONLY WAY TO SUCCESS IS THROUGH COORDINATION, UNITY AND COMPLETE SOLIDARITY.

In Complete Solidarity,

CCP Team

2. On December 6, Tighe Barry, a CODEPINK activist who along with Medea Benjamin was deported from Pakistan at gunpoint for supporting pro-democracy forces, was arrested at the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing on US Assistance to Pakistan.

Barry and Benjamin, deported on December 5, flew directly to Washington DC to attend this hearing. They had asked for the opportunity to testify about their firsthand experience with the heroism of Pakistan’s civil society and the brutality of the government, but were told that the witnesses had already been selected.

The first to testify was Richard Boucher, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs. His testimony was infuriating to Barry, Benjamin and the 10 other CODEPINK activists who were in attendance and holding up signs saying “No Money To Musarraf”.

Mr. Boucher gave the impression that Pakistan was on the path to democracy and that our billions of dollars in assistance was being well used. He called the state of emergency a mere “bump in the road.” The travesty of sacking the independent Supreme Court judges and replacing them with Musharraf allies was called a “Supreme Court reshuffling.” While admitting that the elections would not be “perfect,” he asserted that the State Department was working closely with Pakistani officials to ensure that the elections are free, fair, transparent and credible.

He went on to say that democracy also requires accountable government institutions, including an independent judiciary, protection of individual human rights, a free and dynamic press, an atmosphere promoting open debate, and a vibrant civil society. “Pakistan is making progress toward those goals,” he claimed,

Having just witnessed firsthand the thuggery of Musharraf’s regime, Barry could not believe his ears. He stood up in protest, saying that the Assistant Secretary’s testimony was full of lies. “Musharraf has beaten lawyers and students, destroyed the judiciary, and censored the press,” said Barry. “The U.S. must freeze all funding to this military government until emergency rule is lifted, the independent judiciary is reinstated, the censorship of the media is lifted, and all judges, lawyers, students and human rights defenders are released.”

Barry was pulled out of the room, handcuffed, and put in a paddywagon. “I felt compelled to do this for the sake of my friends in Pakistan,” he said as they took him away. “Pakistanis risk their lives standing up to their government; I have to stand up to mine.”

Barry was cited and released, and must appear in Court on December 27 to face charges of Disorderly Conduct.


Courtesy - EM
CPSP Team

Black Day to be observed on 10th December

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan calls upon all members of civil society to observe the Universal Human Rights Day as a "black day". The worst human rights abuses, in the history of the country, were recorded in 2007. The rights of ordinary people have been violated by the government with impunity. More than 400 people have been picked up by security forces and many remain missing. The Musharraf regime obstructed the Supreme Court in providing justice to those who remain disappeared, as well as those who recorded their statements of having suffered extreme forms of torture at the hands of the security forces. Reports of torture, threats, intimidation, and arbitrary arrests run into thousands. Incidents of extrajudicial killings continue to be reported but never investigated.

The situation has now reached alarming proportions. The coercive apparatus of the State are being blatantly used against all sections of civil society. The media is chained and free expression censured. Thousands of lawyers, journalists, students, teachers and human rights activists were arrested. A number of them remain incarcerated under deplorable conditions. Lawyers and others have been accused of offences falling under the Anti-Terrorism Act. Thirty-five judges of superior courts have been put under house arrest. The family of the Chief Justice of Pakistan is also confined to their residence. This is unprecedented.

The rights of the people are being usurped on the pretext of curbing terrorism. It is the people who are suffering terrorism; both at the hands of non-state militants and state agents. The government has failed to bring militants to justice or to disarm them. On the contrary, at several occasions, the government and its agents have patronized or in the least, ignored criminal acts carried out by militants acting in the name of Islam.

HRCP warns that the claim made by Musharraf of moving towards a transition to democracy is a total farce. The assertion is yet another smack on the face of the people of Pakistan. Amendments to the Legal Practitioners and Bar Council Act as well as the Army Act are only a few examples of the government's grand plan to subjugate the spirit of peaceful members of civil society. Much more is to follow.

HRCP, along with other civil society groups, will organize a black day on the 10th of December. Black flags and bands should be displayed on this unworthy occasion. In order to record the laudable struggle of the legal fraternity of Pakistan HRCP will award the best documentary film made on this movement. All entries are to be submitted by 30 June 2008.

Asma Jahangir
Chairperson Human Rights Commission of Pakistan

Open letter by Aitzaz Ahsan

Aitzaz Ahsan
M.A. Cantab
Barrister-at-Law
Senior Advocate Supreme Court
President Supreme Court Bar Association.

My dear colleagues, December 05, 2007
Asalam o alaikum.

As I write this from a sub-Jail, let me tell you how proud I am of each one of you and of myself to be part of the community that is writing the present chapter in the history of our unfortunate country. As you are all aware we the lawyers are the vanguard in this long over due mammoth battle for civil rights and democracy in our country.

As for myself, jail is not new to me. I was first arrested as a one-year old in the arms of my mother when she courted arrest in 1946 after my father and grandfather had already done so in the Pakistan movement. During the Martial Law imposed by General Zia-ul-Haq I was arrested and detained without trial several times for long terms only because I pursued, even then, the ideals of democracy and an independent judiciary.

Let me assure you that the sacrifices that you have given and the selfless courage that you have shown for a completely selfless cause of an independent judiciary and civilian rule have no parallel anywhere in the world, even in countries from which we have borrowed the concepts of the rule of law and judicial independence. By seeking the restoration of the Chief Justices and Judges of all provinces we are in fact seeking to the save and strengthen the Federation. Ours is a noble cause.

You know that Muneer Malik, Tariq Mahmmod, Ali Ahmed Kurd and I have never wielded any weapons. We have never broken any law. We are no terrorists. We are men of peace. Yet we have treated worst than terrorists while were in jails.

In fact, when arrested, I was only seeking to persuade, through cogent and respectful arguments, 11 senior most judges of the country that an Army General's attempt to contest elections for the office of President was completely in breach of his own oath under the Constitution. And then what happened? Just because that Bench seemed likely to give a verdict according to the express language of the Constitution, he sacked the Chief Justice of Pakistan and other judges of Supreme Court and of the four High Courts. Only the judges who were willing to legitimize him were retained.

What happened thus was unthinkable in today's world. It brought disgrace to the country. No such step was ever taken even in any "banana republic". Yet because of us lawyers and the support we are getting from our kindred in the media, the general public and the students, no one can write off this country as a failed nation. However, for the first time since 1947 we are in the middle of a fresh struggle for independence: independence of civil society and civilian institutions.

It is in the context of ultimately achieving our one point goal of restoring the pre-November 3 status quo and the fact of a form of elections being upon us, that I propose the following:

ONE, Our stand for boycott would be vindicated if ALL major parties also boycott.
TWO, Our stand would also be vindicated if even one of the two major political alliances (ARD or APDM), decides to boycott.
THREE, IF however ALL major parties decide TO CONTEST elections, we must devise a strategy to use the momentum to our own advantage. How? My proposal is that:

In situation THREE the hustle and bustle of the nation-wide election campaign may suck in all politically active persons within a few days. Local issues, of roads, water, sewage, schools and other services, may begin to engage people seeking promises of redress of their immediate miseries. Our one demand may go onto the back-burner of the public mind. People will become pre-occupied with other issues. That is what the regime is counting upon.

What then must be done in situation THREE (and ONLY in situation THREE)?

We have to keep the issue of the "deposed" judges alive. We have to keep the spotlight on our demand. To that purpose I propose the following:

The Supreme Court Bar Association, while continuing to deny validity to this election prescribes its own OATH to be taken and signed by all CANDIDATES. The oath will require each deponent to swear that, if elected, he/she will move the necessary motion/resolution/law/amen

dment required to ensure the restoration of the "ousted" judges, to pursue such motion etc, to speak in its favour, and finally to vote for it. (I suggest below the contents of THE OATH).
The contents of the oath will be widely publicized by representatives of the Bar at all levels through press-conferences and media reports.

It will be made clear that no candidate who does not take this oath is approved by the Bar as deserving the vote of the people irrespective of the Party he belongs to. If more than one candidate in any one constituency takes the oath, then these alone will be declared as the "pre-qualified" candidates disqualifying others from the support and vote of the people.
The oath alone is not enough. It is the MANNER IT IS TAKEN that is also vital. To involve the people and the Bar Associations nation-wide, the SCBA and the PBC must give a call that all OATH-TAKING CEREMONIES:

1. Will be held in District Bar Association premises before the General House;
2. The oath will be taken by a senior Office-bearer of the DBA and recorded by the electronic media and the press.
3. Records will be maintained at the District, Provincial and Central level by the Bar Associations of the oaths.
4. Daily press conferences and press-releases at the respective District and Central levels will announce the names of pre-qualified candidates issuing the names to the press.

Keeping members involved in this most engaging activity will also make the boycott of the courts (wherever prescribed) more viable and effective for a longer period.

Since all this activity will be WITHIN THE PREMISES of the Bars there will be no premature confrontation and this activity will be entirely lawful and sustainable. Yet it will become the most prominent activity in public eye, nationally and internationally. In fact I expect the electronic media to run strips of the names of candidates who have or have not taken oath.

Each ceremony will involve a maximum number of lawyers and political workers across the country. We will also thus cause a synchonised nation-wide activity with the Bars themselves playing the lead role while highlighting our own primary demand. At the end of the day we may have create a large lobby (perhaps even a majority) committed to our demand as we begin to ride the "judicial bus" that may yet be necessary by late January, 2008. You may even today propose a tentative date for that event.

The proposal above is in respect ONLY of situation THREE. In that event, where ALL major political parties are participating in the elections, a mere placid boycott called by lawyers may not work. We have to be realistic. The electorate in that situation will get involved, distracted, indeed consumed by electoral activity. We, and our one demand may be sidelined. And if it is sidestepped during the elections it is unlikely to be of very high priority after the elections. We have to make it the PRIMARY ISSUE IN THE ELECTIONS.

We have a nation-wide network of District Bars. We can make it worth their while for candidates to adhere to our aspiration of restoration of judges. In the process we can, across the country, create a significant and vibrant political activity. And we will also keep the initiative with us. I am sure that within days candidates of parties already committed to the restoration of judges and independent candidates will be jostling for time to take the oath before the full blaze of the media. I can see them printing photos of the oath-taking ceremony on their posters and publicity material to assure the voters that they are committed to us. It will keep the issue of the "deposed" judges right up-front, and may be make it the most inescapable electoral issue.

We are today contesting the most unique case in the history of the world. In this case, our professional fee as lawyers is whatever this country has given each of us to date and our client are 160 million people. But our clients' interest, our nation's interest, we must, safeguard at all costs. If one unarmed lawyer could win the independence of this country, I do not see any reason why we, thousands of lawyers, should not be able to achieve victory.

If we put out hearts and souls into this perfectly legitimate and peaceful enterprise we will prevail. We shall overcome.

Yours truly,


AITZAZ AHSAN.

Protests in Islamabad

On the call of the Student Action Committee (Islamabad) over a 1000 protesters gathered at Aabpara Chowk in Islamabad today. The rally consisted mostly of students from many different universities of Islamabad and surrounding areas. Lawyers, NGOs, Human Rights workers, journalists and members of civil society also joined in to show their support to the students. They were holding flags, banners, placards, posters and flags and were demanding an end to all the draconian policies post Nov-3 and an immediate restoration of the deposed judges and lifting on all curbs on media.

The protest started peacefully at 3 pm. Participants showed their extreme hate towards inhumane ordinances with slogans such as "Rule of Guns and batons, will not work", "The policies of terror, are unacceptable". There was a specially prepared car with a loudspeaker on top that played national anthems and songs in praise of the brave Pakistanis who were fighting for their right for a normal democratic country.

As the protest started moving towards the police club, the police surrounded the protesters threatening dire consequences if they continued to move on. The protesters had made their mind that they will use their fundamental right to protest peacefully and non-violently and resisted to police intimidation. After a few rounds of negotiation the police allowed the protesters to proceed in "groups of 4" for "security reasons". Apparently, students are the new terrorists to them.

Female students proceeded initially but when police stopped all men from joining the proceedings they returned and refused to move till their male counterparts were also allowed to proceed. Someone had heard a few policemen talking about arresting the male protesters under Section 114 which suspends the fundamental human right of organizing a group meeting or rally and no one was willing to risk an arrest of any of their fellows. It was really heartening to see much solidarity amongst students who had all come from different schools, colleges and universities and from diverse backgrounds to come to the help of each other. We can find solace in the fact that the future leaders of Pakistan are united in their demand to save Pakistan and have forgotten their personal differences.

After the first cordon-off, the police surrounded the students another time this time hoping to intimidate them again to stop the protest. The indiscriminately hit a few students in a cowardly attempt to shatter their morale and stop their peaceful struggle. The students did not resist but more importantly did not give up. They sat down in front of the police and again after negotiations they were allowed to move forward but this time one at a time.

The students regrouped again and started moving together as one body. Many had received threats from bullies sitting in government offices to stop speaking up against tyranny and so were really particular in not moving ahead alone. Given thousands have 'disappeared' without charges or ever being brought before a court, it hardly came as a surprise. They wanted to be safe.

This time the police stooped to a new low and started targeting women. Ghazala Minallah sustained injuries on her face. Other prominent human rights activists were also targetted. Farzana Bari, Hajra Ahmad, Alia and Asha Amir Ali also got hit with batons. After watching such police brutality the students of Pakistan could not hold themselves any longer. The retaliated in self-defence and to protect the innocent women who were being specifically targeted. Many came forward to protect the women and put themselves as shields. Some were brave enough to pull batons away from the policemen. Some used their own flags to prevent the police from hitting women. In the struggle that followed many students got beaten up while a significant proportion of policemen also suffering some beating.

A few helmets of the Riot police fell to the ground, many of their batons were taken by the students and it adequately depicted the future to come: students will resist illegal authority, protect their fellow citizens of Pakistan and of course topple a draconian regime the same way they forced the police to withdraw. Forthwith the procession went ahead to the press club uninterrupted to show solidarity with the journalists. Many prominent speakers ranging from Iqbal Haider from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and Marvi Samad, an activist spoke to this reinvigorated crowd that was louder than before.

The Students of Pakistan are not dead. They are coming out numbers to take back their Pakistan!

Call for condemning this inhumane targeted beating of women by Policemen. The police today was from a section of Capital Police. The Additional SP in today's protest was Nasir Aftab (who was also responsible for ordering baton charge on students and arresting 48 juveniles.) You can call him at 0300-8505563 to show your disgust as this level of indecency shown today. The Magistrate for today's protest was Kamran Cheema who is the same Magistrate who has repeatedly claimed that the CJ and the other honorable judges are allowed to move freely and who also suggested that Benazir was free to move about when police had barricaded her house. He can be reached at 9261163 (between 9-5). Please do convey your sentiments to these "defenders of the people of Pakistan" and anyone relevant.

Sit-in at Justice Shahid Siddiqui's House

There is a successful sit-in continuing outside Justice Shahid Siddiqui's House (the Punjab government is trying to forcibly evict him because he didn't take oath under the PCO - this is in violation to their own rules, which state that even on forced retirement an employee is given six months notice to find alternate acommodation). Asma Jehangir, Hina Jilani and others spent the night, and around 40 protesters are still outside the house forming a human wall to prevent any eviction. If you're in the area, drop by and join in this great cause- 14 tollington road, GOR I, Lahore.


CONTEMPT NOTICE ISSUED BY MR. JUSTICE M. A. SHAHID SIDDIQI TO REGISTRAR LAHORE HIGH COURT LAHORE.
ORDER

30. 11. 2007

The Registrar of this Court through letter dated 16th November 2007 has requested me to vacate my official residence i.e. 14 – Tollinton Road, GOR – 1, Lahore.

It has been written after the issuance of Proclamation of Emergency and the Provincial Constitution Order 2007. This communication is wholly illegal, totally in defiance to constitutional provisions and even against the normative values of decency.

1. I am clear in my mind that Lahore High Court holds its very existence to the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973 which embodies the will of the people. Needless to say that the Constitution of a country is always considered as the supreme and sacred law of the land. It cannot be allowed to be abrogated, held in abeyance or violated under any pretext specially by those who have taken the oath to preserve, protect and defend it.

2. In view of the above, the Proclamation of Emergency and the Provincial Constitutional Order 2007 being in sheer abuse of powers are of no legal consequence as had been declared immediately after its promulgation by the Supreme Court of Pakistan existing under the Constitution. The mandate is binding upon the Judges of all the High Courts and all officials performing their functions under the law. Any infraction, violation or deviation from that order will amount to serious contempt of Court for which a deviant official will be liable and likely to be punished. The issuance of above letter appears to be an attempt to intimidate and overawe the Judges who have not surrendered to the Chief of Army Staff. I, therefore, as a sitting Judge of the Lahore High Court direct the Registrar of this Court to explain as to why and at whose instance he issued this letter asking me to vacate my official residence. The reply shall be submitted within a month.

An open letter to Benazir Bhutto from Ghazallah Minallah

Ms BHUTTO, A FREE JUDICIARY BUT DETAINED JUDGES???


Dear Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto,

I was absolutely shocked and amazed at your latest statement regarding the judiciary. How could you, of all people, say that you believed in an independent judiciary BUT that personalities did not matter? If personalities did not matter then why was Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry removed? Why were some judges locked up whereas others were not? If personalities did not matter then why is Musharraf waging a personal war against the CJ? You do not have to be a genius to figure out the reason. How can you separate the personalities from the institution? What you have on Constitution Avenue right now is a besieged and helpless building. The unfortunate but harsh truth is that right now we are a besieged nation as well.

Ms. Bhutto, I am writing to you because your statement has shocked and disturbed me to the extent that I feel I have no option but to reach out to you in this manner. I would like to remind you, since you seem to have forgotten, that you too were the victim of a corrupt judiciary. If Justice Iftikhar had been the CJ of the Supreme Court at that time then perhaps your father would never have been hanged. Had the entire bench been like the present one then there would have been a unanimous judgment. But the judgment was not unanimous - it was a 4 to 3 split – just one judge too many on the wrong side. One more upright personality on the right side and our history would have been different. So yes, personalities certainly do matter.

Ms. Bhutto, I am writing to you in desperation because I am the daughter of Late Justice Safdar Shah, who was one of the three dissenting judges. When Mr., Bhutto was the Prime Minister my father was CJ of the Peshawar High Court. Both these headstrong personalities did not get on with each other, and because of Safdar Shah’s constant criticism and disagreement regarding the reforms and policies being introduced by the PM, the latter had him prematurely retired by introducing the 5th Amendment. After the coup, when Gen. Zia took over, and Mr. Bhutto was charged and convicted of Conspiracy to murder by the Lahore High Court, he appealed to the Supreme Court. Gen. Zia wanted Mr. Bhutto dead and he did his best to manipulate the bench. It soon became obvious as to WHY Safdar Shah had recently been appointed as judge of the Supreme Court . Having the typical mind-set of a dictator, Zia was sure that he would be vindictive and take revenge. But, he was wrong and the rest is history. WHY? Because three of the judges had the courage to say NO, and did not give in to the threats and pressure exerted on them. So yes Ms Bhutto, personalities do matter. Had Justice (retd) Wajiuddin’s father , the late Hon.Waheeduddin not been prematurely retired on extremely dubious medical grounds , history could have been different, No one can dispute the fact that the judgment was wrong since Justice (retd) Nasim Hassan Shah confessed on a talk show on TV a few years ago that the judges were threatened and pressurized into giving that judgment. Yes Ms. Bhutto, they were, and I am a witness to that fact.

Ms. Bhutto, our paths crossed briefly and both of us were victims of a corrupt judiciary which colluded with a Military Dictator. But I am not writing this letter to lament about our plight, since nothing we went through can possibly compare to the torture and torment you and your family went through .Have you forgotten the times when you visited your father in prison? Have you forgotten the humiliating tactics those heartless tyrants subjected you and your family to? Have you forgotten the last time you went to visit him in prison and were not able to hug him? Whenever I think about that grave injustice, which was nothing but a judicial murder, my heart goes out to you and what you suffered then and have suffered since. That is precisely why I am at my wits end and cannot understand WHY you cannot value the importance of independent judges.

Ms.Bhutto, do you think you are invincible? Are you so blinded that you cannot or will not acknowledge the truth? Does it never occur to you that some day you might have to face those judges in the present Supreme Court.? Well let me please spell it out. With independent judges you get a verdict you deserve, whereas with the present kind of farce you get a judgment dictated by the intelligence agencies or the dictator himself. Do you honestly not know or are you honestly not aware of the grave injustice going on? Does it not send a chill up your spine that if the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court can be tossed around by Musharraf it could very well be you as well ?For God’s sake Ms. Bhutto , WAKE UP .You owe it to your father as well as to the nation to defend the judiciary and fight for its independence.

My father continued to be persecuted even after the judgment and we were forced to leave the country. But I will never forgive or forget those responsible for the torment my father went through during his last years. He died an unhappy man and was never able to get over the fact that he was not able to prevent the cold-blooded murder of an innocent man. And that innocent person was your father for God’s sake! I have vowed that I will continue to fight for the independence of the judiciary come what may! I was confident and certain that once you were back you would definitely take up this battle and lead the nation towards sanity.

Ms. Bhutto, is it not obvious to you WHY Musharraf wants Justice Iftikhar out of the way? Ask the families of the ‘missing persons’, who for the first time were being heard and for the first time they could see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Everyone knows who is responsible but no one before this CJ had the courage to take up the matter. Ask the countless downtrodden people who had discovered that they could have direct access to the CJ through Suo Moto notices. Ask 2 and 3 yr old Aneela and Tasleem from Naudero Feroze in Sindh , ask 4 yr old Shaneela or 6yr old Munni or 8 yr old Marina from Mardan what this Chief Justice has done for them. These innocent little girls were the victims of jirga decisions according to which they were to be handed over to the enemy as a symbol of truce .It was Justice Iftikhar who took serious notice of this barbaric custom and passed strict orders to the local authorities to prevent this atrocity from carrying on. It was during the tenure of this CJ that serious environmental disasters were averted .Who took notice of the New Muree Project? Who took action in the Dungi ground case? Who prevented Shah Sharabeel from converting a public park in sector F-7 Islamabad into a multi-million commercial project? Ask the poor people living in the adjacent Christian colony what that decision meant to them. Sharabeel has taken up arms against the CJ since this decision because for that class of people the slum dwellers are a low life who do not deserve any special attention. I can go on and on about the cases in which the SILENT CRIES OF THE DOWNTRODDEN of our society were being heard by a sympathetic judge for the first time. Ms. Bhutto, these are the Suo Moto notices which Musharraf said were a waste of time in his speech justifying the emergency.

If personalities did not matter then why is Musharraf so threatened by this man? On any and every occasion he gets he attacks and tries to malign the CJ with a vengeance. His abnormal hatred for the man has exposed the truth. He knows very well that this man was the biggest hurdle in his plans to destroy what is left of our country. The coup was against the judiciary, the ‘emergency’ was created to sack the CJ and the other conscientious judges. Musharraf needs to be told that we are not a nation of imbeciles and that everyone is aware of the truth and the depth of the situation. We all know that the ‘crisis ‘ in Swat or the threat of terrorism had NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with the sacking of the CJ and the locking up of him and the other judges.

Once again Ms Bhutto, I beg you to think very carefully about where you are heading. I beg you not to betray your father or the nation. I beg you not to fall into Musharraf’s trap and to boycott the elections. The rigging has already taken place, so why are you allowing yourself to become a party to this farce? I beg you to realize that you are the one holding the trump card right now. If you boycott the election, THEY lose face. But if YOU participate, you not only lose face, you lose the confidence and the faith the people of Pakistan have in you. Last but not least, you owe it to Bilawal, Bakhtawar, Aseefa and all future generations of our beloved country.

Yours sincerely,


Ghazala Minallah

D/O Late Justice Safdar Shah

Fazlur Rehman refuses to support Judiciary

ISLAMABAD: MMA Secretary General and JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, on Saturday, refused to support the reinstatement of deposed judges of the Supreme Court and high courts including sacked chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

At a ceremony hosted by the South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA), Fazl said that he supported the independence of judiciary, but would not favor the reinstatement of the deposed CJP and other judges, as they had taken oath under a PCO in 1999. His remarks created uproar in the hall, with a large number of participants shouting “Shame! Shame!”

Replying to an angry participant’s comments that he wanted to become deputy prime minister, Fazl’s reply was, “I want to become the prime minister! What do you mean by deputy prime minister?”

(If anyone wishes to relay their polite feedback regarding this stand to the honorable Maulana, his numbers, as mentioned in yesterday’s issue as well, are 0345-8506684, 0345-9872244 and 0333-5279999.)

Source: The Emergency Times

Beginning of a Struggle

http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/rough/2007/09/flwrc58.html?&c=3wm


This is a PBS report on the struggle to find the missing persons in Pakistan who have disappeared without a trace within government detention. These people, numbered in hundreds, have been missing since the General Musharraf's government conceded to partner President George W Bush in his so called, "war on terror". Families of these missing individuals are concerned and have not heard back from the government of their whereabouts, health and charges against them. They are treated far worse than Guantanamo inmates (held by US Government) and so far none of them have been tried or charged with any wrong doing.

The struggle between judiciary and General Musharraf began when the supreme court began investigating the illegal detention of such individuals by the government. In subsequent move, Justice Chaudhary was removed in March, 2007, to stop such investigation. However, the lawyer community stood up and challenged this decision by the General and suddenly it turned into a movement to over throw the pro-US General Musharraf.

The president may like to call himself "moderate", but his polices are nothing of that sort. It is quite common to find NAB (National Accountability Bureau), Police, FIA (Federal Investigation Agency) and ISI (Inter Services Intelligence) to kidnap individuals without charges and keep them hidden form weeks. And this is just a prime example of things that have gone awry under his regime. It is quite unfortunate that he still wants to hang on to power (by any means) even though the tide has turned against him. It is just a matter of time before the army, which is also quite frustrated by his policies, will stop supporting him.

It was December 2006, when the first protest against the missing persons was organized. Today, it is now almost a year from the incident and the struggle for justice has taken on a national flavor. From students to professionals to women, it seems everyone is now standing up to defend their rights.

Persuade MMA to Boycott Farce Elections

Dear All,

The mass contact campaign seems to be working very effectively. We would like all of you to continue with this campaign and request you all to go crazy with your phone-calls and SMSes again.

MMA is to make a final decision soon on their unified election strategy. It is clear that Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman will be try to persuade everyone to participate in the "farce" elections. Therefore, we must use our powers of persuation and call MMA leaders at the numbers given below to voice our opinion and solidarity in the boycott and try to persuade Fazl-ur-Rehman to join the rest of the APDM.

Our stance: no elections till the judiciary is restored to pre-Nov 3 position. There will be NO compromise on this.

A couple of words of advice:

- SMSes might not be as effective as with PML-N. Please try to use a simpler version of English or write in Roman Urdu.
- Please do not call during the Jama'at timings of Fajr, Zuhur, Asar, Maghrab and Isha.
- MMA leadership may avoid talking to women. Please don't take this personally.

The Rickshaws JUI-F:

Moulana Fazal ur Rehman
0345-8506684
0345-9872244
0333-5279999

Hafiz Hussain Ahmed JUI
0333-6487832
0300-8569363
0333-6487832


Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidri
0333-7806545 , 0320-4936933

Haji Gul Muhammad Dumar
0300-8653141

Maulana Amanullah Khan
0333-9133421
0320-4291938

Maulana Khalil Ahmad
0333-9143080

Maulana Muhammad Gohar Shah
0333-9139136

Maulana Muhammad Qasim
0320-5284799

Maulana Nasib Ali Shah
0300-9433250

Maulana Rehmat Ullah
0333-9125148

Maulvi Muhammad Khan Sherani
0300-9383921

Molvi Noor Muhammad
0320-4789343

Molvi Abdul Haleem
(missing)

Moulvi Rehmatullah
0300-3811575

Mufti Ibrar Sultan
0300-5156979

Qari Abdul Baees Saddiqui
0300-5748355
0333-9481888

Qari Fayazur Rehman Alvi
0300-5907294
0320-495591

Qari Muhammad Yousaf
0300-5175706

Qazi Hameedullah Khan
0300-6422324

Shujaul Mulk
0300-9175954


Dr. Muhammad Ismail Buledi
0333-5164666

Liaqat Ali Bangulzai
0333-5224210


Akhunzada Mohammad Sadiq
0333-5179142


Dr. Khalid Mahmood Soomro. (JUI)
0300-3411651,
0300-2242521

Kamran Murtaza. (JUI)
0320-4782598


Muhammad Talha Mahmood Aryan.
0333-5116995

--------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------

Other Important MMA leaders:

Liaquat Balouch
0300-8456292


Qazi Hussian
0300-8449313
0333 4132833

Saifullah Gondal
MMA Parlimentry Affair
0301-8567951

Prof. Muhammad Ibrahim Khan.
03339102413


Rehmatullah Kaker
0300-9383920,
0333-5221218


Sahibzada Khalid Jan
0320-5212864


Muhammad Hanif Abbasi
0300-8550132


Mr. Farid Ahmed Paracha
042-5414239


Most probable location of tomorrow's MMA meeting:
House of Mian Muhammad Aslam
H. No.7, St. No.49, F-8/4, Islamabad.
051-2856760-1

Courtesy - EM

Persuade PPP & PML to boycott Elections

Dear All,

Our campaign to contact the leaders of PPP and PML-N has been a great success. We would like to continue with your enthusiasm and continue to contact the leaders of PPP and PML-N telling them to boycott these elections without the restoration of the judiciary to pre-Nov 3 position. APDM is meeting in a few hours and we would like you to continue calling, smsing and emailing them. SMS are VERY effective in particular. Please contact these people ASAP so they know that you are not going to support elections unless the judiciary is restored.

This call is being made on Honorable Chief Justice Chaudhry Iftikhar who has urged the whole nation to boycott these elections (for details read:
http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2007/11/ousted-pakistan-cj-calls-for-election.php )

PML-N

Raja Muhammad Zafar-ul-Haq
051-2823475

Makhdoom Javed Hashmi
0300-9630740
92-61511553

Muhammad Ali Khan Hoti
0937-862049 (off)
0937-863159 (R)

Mr. Saranjam Zamindar
0300-9591094
091-824444-824222
051-2280033
0303-6902811
0931-66666-63333
0931-64444

Begum Tehmina
042-5725894-5721780
03008465139
0693-648000

Syed Zafar Ali Shah
0333-5202949
051-2872299
0320-4502949

Ahsan Iqbal
051-2213017
0300-5012345
051-4860059
051-4860058 (fax)

Muhammad Pervez Malik
0300-8440280
9221577 (lodges)
9207477 (279)
042-5878201
042-5878202
042-5710332 (o)
042-5710333 (o)

Iqbal Zafar Jhagra
091-262675-263336
0300-9590653
0300-8595225
091-2651234

Ch. Mohammad Jafar Iqbal
051-2856501 R
051-2651000 (O)
0300-8678844

Khawaja Muhammad Asif
051-2262478
042-5720478
0432-261478-262478
0300-8440640

Sardar Rahim
0333-2200696
021-5896589
021-5380212

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi
051-2823035
0300-9501569

Raja Ashfaq Sarwar
051-2296982
0300-8501313

Khurram Dastgir Khan
055-257935
055-3845465
0300-8643864
0300-6402926

Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan
051-2872046
0992-382323
0300-8505510
0300-5006061
0593-558222

Ch. Nisar Ali Khan
051-4413535
051-5794229

Ghulam Dastgir Khan
051-2250020-1
0300/8641479
0431-710721

Ch. Abdul Ghafoor
042-5883179-5855740
051-111888333

Begum Najma Hameed
051-4411995
0300-5117531

Safdar Rehman
051-9208555
041-545888
03008662444

Sartaj Aziz
051-2281593

Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa
042-5730988
0641-462000-465000
0300-8451217

Khawaja Saad Rafique
042-6653286-6653386
0300/9455669

Syed Ghous Ali Shah
021-5841606-5855591

Pir Sabir Shah
091-814446
0995-661250
0300-8594557

Iqbal Zafar Jhagra
091-262675-263336
0300-9590653
0300-8595225

Sardar Yaqoob Khan Nasir
051-2275891
081-834118
0300-2122300

Syed Zafar Ali Shah
051-2872299
03204502949

Begum Ishrat Ashraf
051-2279944

Raja Nadir Pervez Khan
051-5571484-5
0300-6608644

Khawaja Saad Rafique
03009455669
042-5894666
042-7658457
--------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------
PPP


Ms Sherry Rehman
Information Secretary
49-Old Clifton, Karachi051-9224129, 021-5834663-4, 0300-8222881,
Personal Mobile: 0300-5001420 E-mail:
centralinformationsecretary@gmail.com

Mr. Babar Awan
Treasurer
27-E, Ali Plaza, Blue Area, Islamabad. 051-2823778,
2276540,0320-4265000, Personal Mobile: 0300-5000161 E-mail:
drbabarawan@hotmail.com

Mr. Farhatullah Babar
Assistant to Mohtarma
Personal Mobile 0300-8552543

Senator Mohammad Enver Baig
House No. 5, Street 55, F-7/4, Islamabad Tel: 2206778, Mobile:
0300-8542308; Fax: 2201107
E-mail: manpower@isb.apollo.net.pkmebaig@hotmail.com

Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto
Chairperson
H. No. 8, St. 19, F-8/2, Islamabad. 051-2282781, 2255264, Fax
2282741Personal Mobile (old number) 0300-5000001 (might not be
available onthis but her secretary Awan will probably be.)E-mail:
ppp@comsats.net.pk

Makhdoom Amin Fahim
Vice Chairman
11-A, 2nd Sun Set Street, DHA, Karachi, 021-5842140, 0228-31199,
051-2840588,0300-9221234 E-mail: csppp@comsats.net.pk

Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani
Vice Chairman
Gilani House, Ghaus-al-Azam Road, Multan, 155-B, Phase-I, Defence,
Lahore061-542424, 0300-8448141, 8730662; 042-5723234.E-mail :
makhdoomyrgillani@hotmail.com

Mr. Jehangir Bader
Secretary General
140/107 Karim Block, Allama Iqbal Town, Lahore.
042-5414990-1,0300-8470402; 051-2276014, Fax 051-2276016. E-mail:
bader@brain.net.pk

Mian Raza Rabbani
Deputy Secretary General
H. No. 14/II, St. 31, Phase-V, Ext. DHA, Karachi:021-5865841-2,
0300-9291624, 051-9223854. E-mail: rrabbani@cyber.net.pk

Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi
Deputy Secretary General and President PPP Punjab
H. No.445, Bab-ul-Quresh, Muhallah Daulat Gate, Multan061-4514666,
042-5712289, 0300-8634453, E-mail: smhq148@hotmail.com

Mr. Sajjad Bokhari
Deputy Information Secretary
8 - Davis Road, LahoreTele: 042-63714559, 0300-8446754, E-mail:
pppintl@lhr.paknet.com.pk

Mr. Babar Awan
Treasurer
27-E, Ali Plaza, Blue Area, Islamabad. 051-2823778,
2276540,0320-4265000 Personal Mobile: 0300-5000141E-mail:
drbabarawan@hotmail.com

Central Secretariat Pakistan Peoples Party
House No. 1, Street 85, Sector G-6/4, IslamabadE-mail:
csppp@comsats.net.pk Tel: (92-51) 2276014-5

Prominent lawyer tortured & poisoned in detention

------------------------------------------------------------------------
To support this appeal, and send automated letters click here:
http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/support.php?ua=UA-331-2007
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that the physical condition and health of a prominent lawyer, Mr. Munir A. Malik, former president of the Supreme Court of Pakistan Bar Association, whom we reported to have traces of blood in his urine due to severe torture while in custody, continues to deteriorate. Mr. Malik told his physicians after regaining consciousness that his health worsened after he was forced to drink the juices and food rations given to him whom he believed could have contained poison. No action has been taken against those involved in arresting, detaining and torturing him. Though the government claimed they had already released him, the security forces deployed at the hospital admitted that this is not the case.

CASE DETAILS:
In our previous appeal UP-150-2007, the AHRC has mentioned that Mr. Munir A. Malik was taken to a government hospital after he fainted. Traces of blood were found in his urine after the severe beatings he suffered while in detention at the Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi and subsequently in Attock Jail, a remote jail in a mountainous area in the north western frontier province.

Mr. Malik had been kept incommunicado detention for a week while being held at the Attock Jail. His cell measures just four feet wide and five feet high which makes it extremely difficult if not impossible for him to move comfortably. He was taken out shortly only once in a day to breathe some fresh air. At day time, his detention cell was completely dark but at night a powerful bulb was put on, therefore making it extremely difficult for him to sleep. He was not allowed any visitors to ascertain his condition inside the jail following his arrest, particularly his family.

In one instance, the superintendent of the Attock jail, told Mr. Malik soon after he was taken in detention that he was the first victim of Chief Justice Choudhry. This superintendent told him that he would take revenge against all those persons who had worked to restore the ousted Chief Justice.

Only after Mr. Malik's urine started to emit traces of blood was he taken to a government hospital for treatment. But despite having not recovered fully, after few days of being at the hospital he was again taken back to the Attock Jail.

On November 22, Mr. Malik was taken to the Islamabad, PIMS hospital (Pakistan Institute of Science Management) but his condition has since worsened. This time, he was admitted to the hospital's Intensive Care Institute (ICU) after the physicians examining him discovered the severity of his condition. However, despite these findings by his physicians, the policemen who took him to the hospital at first refused to admit him for immediate treatment.

But after the alarming news of his condition spread out, the authorities withdrew the policemen deployed outside the ICU where Mr. Malik was finally admitted. When Mr. Malik regained consciousness he told his physicians that while he was in jail the jail authorities gave him liquid to drink, or juice, as he was told, forcing him to take them. It happened after he was taken back to jail from the hospital. Mr. Malik told the doctors that the drink and food ration that the jail officers have given him might have contain poison. While in detention, the jail guard also deprived him of any regular medication. Since then his condition continues to deteriorate.

The medical examination performed on Mr. Malik disclosed that both his kidneys and liver are no longer functioning properly and that his urine continues to emit traces of blood. He has now received dialysis twice in order for him to gain immediate relief from his condition. On November 25, the physicians examining Mr. Malik informed him that the next two days would be critical.

The government has already claimed it already released Mr. Malik from detention following pressure by the legal community. However, security forces attached to the government's anti-terrorist squad have not been pulled out from the hospital where he is admitted. In Pakistan, this squad is reported to have more power than the police.

Mr. Malik is reported to be one of the lawyers known to have suffered brutal and inhumane treatment following their arrest on November 3 after the emergency rule was imposed.

Another prominent lawyer, Mr. Ali Hamed Kurd and a retired justice, Mr. Tariq Mehmood, who were at the forefront of lawyer's movement, have also not been released. Mr. Kurd is the former President of the Pakistan Bar Council while Mr. Mehmood was also a former president of Supreme Court Bar Association. They are reported to have been kept incommunicado detention in different jails but their present condition could not be ascertained. Mr. Ali Ahmed Kurd was reported to have been tortured by the security forces who took him into custody, the Inter Service Intelligence Agency, known as the I.S.I.

Furthermore, as mentioned in our previous appeal UP-153-2007, several days after Mr. Syed Hassan Tariq, a prominent human rights lawyer was arrested on November 8 and also tortured by the security forces. He was also taken to a hospital due to serious injuries. Mr. Tariq has suffered internal bleeding to his lungs and two ribs were fractured. He also had marks of beatings on his back. His physician said that his condition was severe.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Mr. Munir A. Malik is the key person who started the movement for the restoration of Mr. Ifekhar Choudhry, Chief Justice of Pakistan, who was suspended on March 9 by General Pervez Musharraf. The government of President Musharraf has since been dismissive of him. In October 2006, when Mr. Malik was elected as president of the Supreme Court of Bar Association (SCBA), the government refused to acknowledge his leadership.

Mr. Malik's election to the bar association was also challenged by Mr. Malik Qayyum, the present Attorney General. In refusing to acknowledge his leadership, the government appointed Mr. Qayyum as the SCBA's parallel president which led to the division in the bar association. However, Mr. Malik challenged Mr. Qayyum's legitimacy. He was later acknowledged by the bench of Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Chowdhry, as the duly elected president of the SCBA.

In the past few days, the government has announced that it has released thousand of detainees, including lawyers, judges, journalist, political activist, human rights workers and others. However, it is reported that over 1,000 lawyers have remained in jail. The names, place of detention and reasons as to why they are continuously detained have not been made public by the government.

In the press release the issued by the AHRC AHRC-PL-051-2007, serious concerns were raised with regard to the great risk that persons remaining in jail face of being tortured, maltreated, killed or disappeared, unless they are fully accounted for and their families are allowed access to visit them to ascertain their condition. The government has continuously failed to provide basic information regarding the condition of these detainees, particularly their names and their places of detention. It is extremely difficult to ascertain the exact number of person in jail and those who could have disappeared because of this condition.

SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to the concerned authorities below requesting their immediate intervention to ensure that remedies are afforded to Mr. Munir Malik. Action must be taken against those responsible in arresting, detaining and torturing him in custody. Please also urge that immediate action must be taken to ensure that those who remained in detention are properly treated and that they are released without further delay. The AHRC is also writing a separate letter to United Nations Special Rapporteurs on Torture and Independence of Judges and Lawyers for their intervention in this case.

To support this appeal, and send automated letters click here:
http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/support.php?ua=UA-331-2007




PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:

1. General Pervez Musharraf
President
President's Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 922 1422, 4768/ 920 1893 or 1835
Email: (please see-> http://www.presidentofpakistan.gov.pk/WTPresidentMessage.aspx)

2. Mr. Afzal Haider
Minister of Law, Justice and Human Rights
S Block Pakistan Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 920 2628
Email: minister@molaw.gov.pk

3. Federal Minister of Interior
Room#404, 4th Floor, R Block,
Pak Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: + 92 51 9212026
Fax: + 92 51 9202624
Email: minister@interior.gov.pk

4. Secretary
(Criminal Prosecution) SGA &CD Department
Government of Sindh
Sindh Secretariat,
Karachi, Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 21 9213327-6
Fax: +92 21 9213873
Email: secy.cpsd@sindh.gov.pk

5. Dr. Faqir Hussain
Registrar
Supreme Court of Pakistan
Supreme Court Building
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 51 9213770
Fax: +92 51 9213452
E-mail: registrar@supremecourt.gov.pk

Thank you.

Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission ( ua@ahrchk.org)

To support this appeal, and send automated letters click here:
http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/support.php?ua=UA-331-2007

Poetry: Ae Watan ke Nasheelay Jawano

Political debate banned in colleges

The federal government on Tuesday imposed a ban on open debate on media curbs, suspension of judges and emergency in all colleges and universities in the country.

Well-placed sources said students of various universities and colleges in Islamabad, had been strongly protesting against emergency rule, curbs on the media and suspension of judges, for the last few days to express solidarity with the electronic media.

Taking notice of the situation, the federal government has banned debate in all colleges and universities and warned of strict action against violators.

Students, civil society activists and others have been continuously protesting against the imposition of emergency for the last 12 days.�Online

Countrywide media protests against curbs, torture

Journalists throughout Pakistan on Wednesday protested against the recent media curbs, the closure of television news channels and arrests and torture of journalists in Karachi, Hyderabad and other areas of the country and called for a free media.

http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=82220

Imran Khan Released from Prison

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Hunger-striking cricket legend and PTI Chief Imran Khan has been released from prison on Wednesday Nov 21, 2007

Khan was detained last week while trying to lead a protest in at Punjab University, Lahore against a state of emergency imposed by President Pervez Musharraf. He began a hunger strike on Monday.

Meanwhile, his student supporters staged a massive rally in his support. The video of the rally can be seen below.

Bloggers Fight Pakistan Emergency

Here are some news items recently published discussing the shift in technology usage by protesters against Gen Musharraf and his "emergency".

• Facebookers, bloggers fight Pakistan emergency
  


• With news banned from TV, Pakistanis find it on the Web


• Pakistan students fight emergency

Beginning of Something Different

It was a typical march afternoon in Islamabad. A few of us friends had gathered at a local popular restaurant for our lunch. We were a mixed lot. With education degrees from abroad and working for the development, private and government sectors, we were pondering on the future of the country. Just recently, the chief justice, Chaudhary Iftikhar had been deposed from his position by Gen Musharraf and there seemed an instant uprising by the lawyers.

As it is, I had the most pessimistic view among them. I believed, at that time, that Musharraf is powerful enough and will prevail over the agitators who will be locked up before the end of the month. However, my friends, especially those hailing from the government sectors, had a completely different point of view. They believed, and rightly so, that if lawyers prevailed and if the courts turned the ruling in favor of the Chief Justice, it will be the beginning of something different.

A few weeks later, with Chief Justice rallying the whole nation behind him, the first of the many TV censorships were imposed in the country by the military regime. The rallies that Chaudhary Iftikhar led in various cities of Pakistan were composed of thousands of supporters who came to greet and meet the person who had decided to stand up to Musharraf. These rallies, were sadly, banned altogether from live TV coverage. The noose on the media was beginning to tighten signalling once again the weakness of the government. In the midst of all this, the Chief Justice's rally in Karachi was met by Musharraf's supporters, aka MQM. And before the end of the day, 28 innocent people lay dead on the streets of Karachi. Once again, the message was clear. Support Musharraf or die. A few weeks later, bomb blast in Islamabad was to further flay the movement. But it had no effect on millions of people from standing up. Nor did the arrest of hundreds of lawyers nationwide who were supporting justice over dictatorship. It seemed that the masses had been mobilized and no ban, bomb or murders could stop this movement from spreading now.

It truly seemed the beginning of something different.

In the middle of all this, another tragic incident stirred the nerves of many in the country. The Lal Masjid debacle. That fateful day, when the incident began, I was in the neighborhood of the ill fated mosque. Rather, when I went to a nearby building for a meeting, everything seemed normal. But when I came out, a few hours later, the whole area was deserted. The shops that were buzzing with customers now had shutters down. The only activity on the street were Police vehicles. I had to walk quite a distance before I could find transport to take me away. All the while, that I walked through the area, I was worried if a stray bullet would pierce me from somewhere or some agitated mob might begin ransacking the area. Fortunately, I escaped to safety in good time.

The siege of the mosque lasted a while and it was telecast live on almost all televisions, including CNN and BBC. We even got a chance to hear the story of those inside the mosque through Geo, ARY and other local TV stations. At the same time, we listened to the daily press briefings by the government (initially) and later by the military which were never really telling us the real story. The heart of Islamabad shook with the bombs and rocket fires for weeks as the two sides fought it out to the grim end. The siege finally ended with the military might triumphaning over the hapless teenagers and defenseless females being massacared by army's automatic weapons and gun ship helicopters. A few who did have weapons within the mosque fared even worse, as they were hunted down and killed off one by one. Almost instantly, there was a change. While the government of Musharraf and military declared complete success in "Operation Silence", their compounds came under severe attacks from the forces that were loyal to Taliban. For the first time, it seemed, that Taliban had declared an all out war against the men in uniform. Never had the army been under siege from its own people.

It truly seemed the beginning of something different.

But the worst was yet to come. Chaudhary Iftikhar was not only reinstated by the subsequent court ruling in his favor, but he began questioning every single decision that the military dictator and his regime was making within the country. This brought us to where we are today. The emergency was declared, and all semblance of democracy and people power was taken away. Media was not only censored, but GEO and ARY were initially banned and later shut down for good. Thousands of protesters, including politicians, lawyers, students, intellectuals and human rights activists were rounded up and locked up into prisons. Musharraf once again made it very clear to his subjects. Stand up against me and you will perish. The masses got the message. They are beginning to stand up and had one goal in mind; "Perish Musharraf"

The movement today is a million strong. It encompasses students from high school and leading colleges and universities of the country. It includes, lawyers, businessmen and even women from all walks of life. It includes religious right and even Benazir Bhutto's pro Musharraf party. In short, it is no longer a movement led by any political party, but a movement led by the educated and elite class of people against the military regime of General Pervaiz Musharraf.

And in the end, it is truly the beginning of something different. It is definitely the birth of a revolution. One for which the country has waited 60 long years.

We Must Stand Up

“We are a nation by every definition of the word nation” Mohmmad Ali Jinnah. It is time that we make this assertion made by the founder of Pakistan true. Quaid-e-Azam promised us Pakistan and we promised him undying loyalty and sincerity to the state of Pakistan. We must ask ourselves have we honored our promise. Have we fulfilled our part of the bargain? First they attacked democracy, then they attacked the judiciary and now they have stripped us of our basic rights. They have silenced the cries of the oppressed, the people of Pakistan. Are we still going to let the autocrats dictate their will?

Success of every nation stems from a free and healthy judicial system, which is independent of the executive. The Chief Justice of Pakistan along with other seven judges of the Supreme Court have been placed under house arrest for an indefinite period of time. The Chief Justice who never ignored the voice of the oppressed no matter what class of society they belonged to. The man who gave people the hope to strive and live, whom the poor man thinks of as his savior is being held like a captive. Does any one of us have any hope of justice anymore? The bigger question is, will we finally standup for our future, for the tomorrow of Pakistan.

The issue is not of one institution or one man anymore, the issue is of a country. The issue is, are we ready to be a nation. The issue is will we pay our allegiance to the flag of Pakistan. We have waited 60 long years for a leader to show us the path to a stable Pakistan. We yet have not come across one. Is it not time that we join hands as a nation and take this country forward. Till when we will deprive the future generations their right to live under the rule of law.

“The constitution of a country, is not merely a lawyer’s document, but is in fact the vehicle of a nation’s life” Woodrow Wilson. I appeal to the general public to realize that the limb which General Pervaiz Mushraff is amputating is the very soul of Pakistan. We must put an end to the rule of one man and instead strive for a Pakistan which Allama Iqbal envisioned, the Pakistan of Quaid-e-Azam, which is based on the principles of social justice and democracy. We must save the country for which our ancestors gave their lives; the country which was an ideology must now be turned in to a reality.

Barrister Z.F.Sivia

Black & White Revolution

Here are two videos supporting democracy in Pakistan. This is another effort by ordinary Pakistanis who are concerned about the "emergency" in Pakistan. Another reason for the nation to stand by their brethren in beating back the army into barracks.

Black & White Revolution - video 1


Black & White Revolution - video 2

Video: Bol Ke Lab Azad Hain Tere

A wonderful piece of video put together by BoltaPakistan.com folks.

It is time for Civilian Rule

Until recently I was also apolitical along with most Pakistanis who want to be left alone to chase whatever they want be it money or birds (unsuccessful on both counts in my case).

While in Pakistan itself for a number of years there have been two important interest groups

• Those that want to see a civilian government
• A similar sized minority that love military rule believing that authoritarian figures are needed to keep Pak intact
  

In the last year, however, all Pakistanis are being forced to decide which camp they belong to.

This has been due to General Musharraf's political oafishness and lack of common touch which has given the former renewed vigor to agitate for his removal.

The three main catalysts have been

1. The inevitable blow back from doing Bush's dirty work in Waziristan which has tarnished the image of the army generally
2. Failure to blow some life into Pakistani politics by measures such as secret leadership ballots to get new party leaders
3. His taking on of the judiciary has united the different political opposition to military rule where Bush and the Taliban failed to

In so many ways good old Musharraf was so much better than the previous generals - particularly his crisis management job between 1999 and 2003 in very trying circumstances when Pakistan's name was mud internationally.

But he has sown the seeds for his his own downfall by his lack of respect for the judiciary - this was what allowed Aitzaz Ahsan to turn a stuffy figure like Iftikhar Chaudry into a national hero.

Worse still he has appeared to the public as a pathetic rascal who would do anything to keep his presidency - even to do a deal with the crook Benazir (as proven in Swiss courts, however, much she may bleat and appeal) - to again weaken the opposition at the next elections.

His persona from this decision changed to a power drunk autocrat - one that wants to be in power for power's sake - however much he may say that the easiest thing would be for him to leave to be with his beloved Bilal in America.

The momentum that the Chief Justice generated was such that he became more powerful than the President himself - to keep his job the general had to even dismay his Western partners by sacking the Supreme Court.

Personally I think Aitzaz Ahsan and the judiciary went too far in that they were going to declare Musharraf's presidency invalid on the basis that he still had his uniform on at the time of the vote. I think that the opposition should have tried to win the election and given the general a dignified retirement in a few years in the interests of national reconciliation.

But I guess they are all gambling that Mush is losing support by the day even within the army and also want to get their own back on him for the way he has treated them.

While BiBi is having to join in on the bandwagon now that she is finally cottoning onto the fact that the general is sinking.

In the midst of these upheavals I have come to the decision that civilian rule must be Paksitan's political direction. It is the only way that personalities and egos are to be kept in check and that priority will be given to the wants and needs of the Paksitani public.

-- Hamza Anwar (Manchester, UK)

Frost Over The World - Jemima Khan

Sir David Frost talks to Jemima Khan about the arrest and detention of her former husband, politician and former cricketer Imran Khan. Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera's senior political analyst, also joins the show to discuss the first year of Al Jazeera English.

Musharraf: November 3 Step was Illegal

On Friday, BBC aired an interview that President Musharraf gave on the BBC. It was quite an astonishing interview and truly thought provoking. At one point he said quite openly,

"Have I done anything constitutionally illegal? Yes, I did it on 3 November," he said, referring to his imposition of emergency rule.

Can someone elaborate on this? Was that a slip of a tongue? Or did he actually mean it? If this step on Nov 3 was illegal (in his own words) then he broke the law and should be tried accordingly.

Here is the text of the interview.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7099567.stm

Video of the Interview on BBC website

Crisis in Pakistan

This is a wonderful video produced by Geo on the current "emergency" imposed by the Gen. Pervaiz Musharraf in Pakistan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ByClR16oZY

Curbs on Media

A great place to find out the latest on what is going on with Curbs on media.

http://www.jang.com.pk/important_events/curbonmedia/

http://thenews.com.pk/updates.asp?id=32385

In one of the recent news item, Geo News has been banned worldwide by Pakistan government in collusion with UAE Emirates. Geo News had achieved the status of CNN news in Pakistan for its to the point and open coverage without bias. Unfortunately, that was too much for the military regime of General Pervaiz Musharraf.

Perils of Protesting against Musharraf

One can protest against the current emergency, but at their own peril. The Pakistani police under direct orders from the military regime will not spare any soul. Be it old men, females or even kids. Here in this short Geo video, we can see how some peaceful protesters, that included females, were mal-treated by the police in Barkat Market, Lahore, Pakistan.

High School Students Protest in Islamabad

While we all debate the merits and de-merits of Martial law regime, abeyance of constitution, and violation of human rights in the name of "emergency", students in the posh sectors of Islamabad (F-10/F-8) were baton charged by the police.

http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=80413

The students (most of them between 9-12 grade) were peacefully protesting against the "emergency" in the country. They were not only baton charged by the roit police but 48 of them were put in jail including a 12 year old kid.



The video was compiled using the many footages taken from cellphone cameras. The approximate different segments of the video (seperated by still pictures) are:

1. Students outside McDonald's
2. Students walking on the grassy path, NOT on the road. They were NOT disrupting traffic.
3. They only started removing the tapes from their mouths when the media or policemen came.
4. The students stopped to talk to the police.
5. First police officer, one in light blue clothes said, "Just stop here for a while, let the magistrate come.
6. The magistrate comes in, in white clothes, asking the students to return.
7. They all agree and start walking back singing the national anthem of Pakistan.
8. People traveling by also showed their support to us.
9. Reinforcements starting arriving. Riot police surrounded the students. Many others were on the way.
10. Students agreed to everything, even to being arrested.
11. The boys formed a circle around the girls so that they would be free from the indecencies our police is known to inflict.
12. The policemen stormed them, charged them with batons, hurled abuses and shoved 48 students into police van (Unfortunately we don't have footage of all of that as people were more concerned with saving themselves than filming it. Some media channels were there and they might have it).

e-Protest - Sign the Petition- 1,000,000 Target

While the media is banned and public gatherings are not allowed in Pakistan, we are planning a massive global "e-Protest" to raise our voice.

The petition will be sent to Embassies, United Nations, Human Rights Organizations, Politicians, Governments, Press and Media.

http://www.gopetition.com/online/15064.html

The number of signatures is increasing at double the speed of the minute clock! Sign this petition and send this link to every person you know through Facebook, Emails, Orkut, Friendster, Bebo and every social networking platform available. Our voice will be heard globally.

Alternative approaches to protests

This note is in reference to the current political crisis in Pakistan.

Blockaded route to the Presidency in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Protests internationally will only bring bad publicity to the cause. It will reinforce the idea that Pakistan is really “the most dangerous place in the world”. There needs to be a mechanism that we can get the word out without affecting the country's reputation. That is a tough ask, but still doable.

As professionals living in Pakistan and abroad, we should protest in mechanisms that can create the maximum impact with minimum effort and all being within the legal framework. Otherwise, there is no difference between us and the lawbreakers. We should also encourage non-Pakistanis to learn more about the country and recruit them to support our cause.

Therefore, we should be involved in activities that may assist in educating the common person that the actual issues that plague Pakistan, and emphasize that it suffers from inept and corrupt leadership. Here is what I would recommend one should do.

For those, who are too busy to take time out, can still participate by doing some of the following tasks.

Simple tasks that anyone can do, with no time available

• Join online groups on social networking websites


• Sign online petitions


• Spread the message among friends (Pakistanis and others)


• Talk positively about the crisis and ask for assistance from friends


• Write a blog about your experiences. Or if you do not have a blog, try writing a note in your facebook or something similar.


• Share your opinion (even one paragraph) on any popular website. So that others know that the cause has many supporters.

A bit more time for activities

• Call your local state representative in the congress Congress/Senate and ask what is their stance on the recent crisis in Pakistan?


• Ask them to raise and discuss this issue in congress.


• Ask them not to impose sanctions on the country as it will hurt the poor, rather impose sanctions on individuals who violate human rights.

Dedicated time for activities

• Initiate a physical gathering of like minded individuals who might have joined the electronic groups based on the cause.


• Speak about the issue in detail


• Educate the people concerned about the cause


• Come up with unique strategies to resolve the crisis


• Join organizations that work for the cause. Maybe, restoration of democracy.


• Get internationally recognized speakers to speak at your forum (Hoover institute at stanford, or JFK School of Govt at Harvard or something similar maybe)


In addition, one can always participate in protest marches and demonstrations taking place in your neighborhood.