ISLAMABAD: Dr. Fehmida Mirza has been elected the first ever woman speaker of the National Assembly (also the first ever Muslim woman speaker of any legislature) and Faisal Karim Kundi has been elected as the Deputy Speaker.
Dr Fehmida Mirza received 249 out of 324 votes, of which 319 were valid and five votes were declared invalid. Asrar Tareen, the opposition nominee, received 70 votes. Faisal Karim Kundi bagged 246 votes defeating of PPPP Mrs Khush Bakht Shujat of PML, who received 68, in the election of the Deputy Speaker.
Dr Fehmida Mirza hails from Badin in Sindh and has been winning elections continuously since 1997. She is the wife of Dr Zulfiqar Ali Mirza, a close friend of PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
NA elects first ever woman Speaker
Musharraf trying to create clash, says Aitzaz
ISLAMABAD: President Supreme Court Bar Association Atizaz Ahsan said that President Musharraf is trying to set up a clash despite the fact that Parliament had proved a two- thirds majority during the election of the house speaker.
Talking to the media at his residence before leaving for Abbotabad to address a lawyers gathering, Atizaz said the President should be careful now as parliament had proved a two third majority. He said that lawyers are not adopting the path of confrontation and 30 days would be given to new parliament for the restoration of deposed judges.
Let the original judges return
17th March 2008
Naeem Sadiq
(Courtesy DAWN)
Just imagine for a moment that an ordinary government servant, say a Lower Division Clerk of the Revenue Department appears on a local TV Channel and announces that the constitution of Pakistan is no more valid and the country would hence forth be run by a new law introduced by him, called the CCO (Clerks Constitution Order). This gentleman further states that all judges should consider themselves fired and house arrested, unless they take an oath on his newly invented CCO. What is going to be the reaction to this rather ludicrous announcement? Most people are likely to consider it comical and disregard it as an incident of no consequence. Some others may consider this person to be suffering from a delusion of grandiosity, some form of megalomania, acute egocentricity or simply undergoing a hypomanic episode. The newspapers would hardly bother to cover this story, except for some eveningers which might wish to use this as a filler for left over spaces. The local Nazim may ask the SHO to discipline this LDC for a day or two, till he learns not to talk about issues that do not strictly fall in the realm of land revenues. The Interior ministry would not even feel the need to issue a clarification, as they would not like to extend any more credence to this inconsequential irrelevance. The Parliament would not be required to even take a notice of this absurdity, while the Judges would certainly not be seen bee lining in large numbers, dying to take oath under the new CCO.
Now imagine another government servant, say the Chief of the Army Staff, one day does exactly the same thing that the UDC did, except that he calls his figment as PCO instead of CCO. One would imagine exactly the same sequence of events to repeat themselves. People considering this to be a lunatic expression and the government not even bothered to issue a clarification. The civil society does not take to the streets and the constitutional experts do not hold seminars to debate how this illegal lacunae may be resolved. The parliament would not hold a special session to undo the PCO or to restore the judges, for the judges would keep going to their offices as normal. The state institutions, police bureaucracy, ministries, and executives of all kinds would ensure that nothing hinders the judges from performing their routine activities. However the Army being a responsible, law abiding, and disciplined force, would not leave this matter to the local SHO, and instead will decide to take the necessary disciplinary action against this gentleman. After all he violated the precious Army Act by indulging in politics and saying things against the constitution. This is how it would happen in any half civilized country, and this is how it should have happened in Pakistan.
Pakistan does need to explore unique methodologies to undo what was completely illegal and irrelevant to start with. The proclamations of November 3, 2007 were the brainchild of a government servant whose oath and job function debarred him from saying or doing any such thing. We do not have to wait for the arrival of the new parliament to make a grand decision to restore the judiciary. The judiciary was never unseated, for the Army Chief has simply no authority to do so. There is neither a court order nor a decision from the parliament required to restore the judges. All that is needed is that the state institutions enable and ensure that all judges can go back to their jobs as they stood on November 3, 2007. In a situation of a blatant conflict between the delusional desires of an individual and the dictates of the constitution of Pakistan, it should not be a complex assignment for the state institutions to decide which option to take. Acting in accordance with the dictates of their conscience and constitution, they should immediately facilitate all judges to resume their responsibilities from where they left on November 3, 2007. Any state institution not doing so is itself guilty of violating the constitution.
Perhaps the matters that the new parliament may look into are why the state institutions including members of their own clan were in such a hurry to rubber stamp such illegal arrangements. Why did the government functionaries (except for the sixty honourable judges) not refuse to obey the blatantly illegal orders of the Army Chief. Perhaps the Army also needs to implement its own accountability process for those who violated the Army Act (besides the constitution of Pakistan). By bringing the violators to justice, we may forever be able to get rid of our seven yearly PCO itch. Alternately we should start tightening our seat belts and brace up for a yet another déjà vu in not too distant future.
Journalists roughed up while covering the NA Speaker election
(Courtesy Teeth Maestro)
Yesterday during the National Assembly session where the elections were underway to elect the new speaker of the house, outside it seems that the media was being roughed up for God knows what reason, under specific orders of the SP & DSP. One can only speculate as to why these media outlets were being prevented from covering the national assembly session.
A matter of impeachment
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Khwaja Ahmad Hosain
(Courtesy The News)
Two hundred and ninety-five. That is the key number. That is the number of votes that are needed to impeach President Musharraf under the constitution. The constitutional chronology contemplated for such removal is clearly set forth in Article 47. First, at least half of the members of the National Assembly would present a written notice to the speaker of their intention to move a resolution for the impeachment of the president. The notice would set out the particulars of the charge against him. In this case the charge is simple. The president violated the constitution on November 3, 2007.
Within three days from receipt of the written notice from the MNAs the speaker must send the notice to the president. Between day seven and day fourteen starting from the date the speaker received the notice, the speaker must summon a joint session of the National Assembly and the Senate which will investigate the charge. The president has the right to be represented and to appear during this investigation process. If, after considering the result of the investigation, two thirds of the total membership of both the National Assembly and the Senate at the joint session declare by a resolution that the president is guilty of violating the constitution or gross misconduct, the president shall cease to hold office immediately upon the passing of such resolution. No further action is required and upon the passing of such a resolution the president shall, ipso facto, cease to hold office.
The crucial point is that to impeach the president you do not need a two-thirds majority in the Senate, which is currently controlled by forces supporting the president. Even if the impeachment resolution is supported by less than half the Senators, as long as sufficient number of MNAs vote in support of it so that the threshold of 295 is reached, the resolution will be passed.
This procedure is different from the procedure prescribed for amendments to the constitution. To amend the constitution you need a two thirds majority in both the National Assembly and the Senate. There is no concept of a joint sitting here and each house will separately consider the constitutional amendment bill. As long as Musharraf has the support of at least 34 senators, he can block any constitutional amendment bill.
In addition, a constitutional amendment bill must be assented to by the president to become law. If the president wants, he can send a constitutional amendment bill back to parliament to reconsider the same and then parliament will need to pass it again (with the same two thirds majority in each house). Once passed again, the requirement for presidential assent is not removed but the discretion of the president to withhold his assent is removed. Under the constitution the president must assent to a bill which has been passed twice by parliament.
Constitutional amendments require, at the very least, presidential involvement. Even if a constitutional amendment package is passed with a two thirds majority in each house, the president can refuse to give his assent to a first draft of any such bill and can delay the grant of assent if the bill is presented to him for the second time. If any constitutional amendment bill is proposed in the presence of Musharraf and the post November 3 Supreme Court, various devices could be used by the presidency to sabotage the prospects of such a bill.
The constitutional impeachment process requires no action from the president and gives no rights or discretion to the president apart from the right to be represented before and heard by the relevant adjudicating tribunal which is the joint membership of the National Assembly and the Senate. The "court" in an impeachment trial consists of the representatives of the people sitting in the National Assembly and Senate. The conduct of the impeachment trial and the timing of any vote on the impeachment resolution will be controlled by the speaker. Neither the army nor the existing Supreme Court can save the president from impeachment if the necessary parliamentary majority exists.
The PPP and PML-N have expressed their desire to restore the deposed judges by a parliamentary resolution within 30 days. The president's advisers have stated this is not legally possible and that the judges cannot be restored without a constitutional amendment. There is a risk, which has been hinted at already, that if parliament "resolves" that the judges should return, the existing judiciary may stay such a resolution before it can take effect. This will put the current de facto bench and the presidency at loggerheads with the government and the legislature. Can the political players afford to take the gamble that the army will support them in such an impasse? It is this uncertainty that the presidency and establishment will seek to exploit.
It is for this reason that it is crucial that the maximum possible support is developed in the parliament in favour of the proposed resolution for restoration of the judges. If the resolution manages to get the support of sufficient members of parliament, the president and his supporters should be able to read the writing on the wall. All institutions of state and political players will then see that trying to block the restoration by coming to the aid of the beleaguered president will be a futile exercise.
The prospect of being the first president in the history of Pakistan to be subject to an impeachment trial hangs over his head like the Sword of Damocles. During any impeachment trial, apart perhaps from certain members of the PML-Q and the MQM, his remaining supporters will abandon him like rats leaving a sinking ship for the sake of their political survival. If notwithstanding this prospect, the president stays in his bunker and still tries to block the restoration, the democratic forces in parliament can strike and put the final nail in his coffin by impeaching him.
The writer is an Oxford-educated barrister practising corporate law in Lahore.
Resolution by US Representatives Condemning the dismissal of the Supreme Court in Pakistan and demanding restoration
Condemning the dismissal of the Supreme Court in Pakistan and calling for their reinstatement by the Government of Pakistan. (Introduced in House)
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1044
Condemning the dismissal of the Supreme Court in Pakistan and calling for their reinstatement by the Government of Pakistan.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 12, 2008
Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California (for herself and Mr. DELAHUNT) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
RESOLUTION
RESOLUTION
Condemning the dismissal of the Supreme Court in Pakistan and calling for their reinstatement by the Government of Pakistan.
Whereas on March 9, 2007, President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan suspended the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry;
Whereas this removal triggered months of protests by hundreds of Pakistani lawyers;
Whereas on July 20, 2007, the Supreme Court of Pakistan found Chaudhry's removal unconstitutional and reinstated him as Chief Justice;
Whereas following his imposition of emergency rule on November 3, 2007, President Musharraf required Supreme Court justices to take a new oath of office under the Provisional Constitution Order and dismissed seven judges, including the Chief Justice, who refused to take this new oath;
Whereas the principles of constitutional order and the rule of law are prerequisites to any functioning democracy;
Whereas an independent judiciary and free elections are equally vital as fundamental foundations of democracy;
Whereas section 699F(b)(3)(D) of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 (Public Law 110-161), withholds $50,000,000 of Foreign Military Financing for Pakistan pending the restoration of an independent judiciary;
and Whereas these actions by President Musharraf undermine democratic governance and rule of law in Pakistan and thus reduce the ability of the Government of Pakistan and the Government of the United States to effectively fight against al Qaeda and Taliban terrorists that threaten United States interests in South Asia:
Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the United States House of Representatives--
(1) commends members of the legal profession in Pakistan as well as opposition politicians, human rights activists, and independent journalists for their courageous opposition to the removal of Chief Justice Chaudhry, their principled leadership in defending the Constitution of Pakistan, and promoting the rule of law;
(2) welcomes public statements from Pakistan's new civilian leaders that they intend to restore all judges dismissed after November 3, 2007, to office; and
(3) calls on the Government of Pakistan, consistent with section 699F(b)(3)(D) of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 (Public Law 110-161), to restore to their positions Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and all Supreme Court and high court justices and other members of the legal profession in Pakistan who were removed from office since the imposition of emergency rule, and to respect the independence of the Pakistani judiciary .
Monday, March 17, 2008
Four FBI Agents Hurt in Islamabad Bombing
ABC News Reports: Top FBI Agent in the Country Was Among the Wounded
By RICHARD ESPOSITO, BRIAN ROSS and GRETCHEN PETERS
March 16, 2008. Four FBI agents were wounded -- none critically -- in a bomb attack on a popular Italian restuarant in Islamabad this weekend, the bureau announced today. The attacker tossed a small bomb or hand grenade directly into the restuarant courtyard, which is known for serving alcohol to Westerners.
Multiple sources said that the attack was under investigation to see whether it was based on the terrorists having learned in advance of the agents' presence. In Washington, meanwhile, officials downplayed the possibility that the attack specifically targeted the agents based on advance intelligence. They cited the relatively small size of the attack -- one in which injuries to the agent's were relatively minor -- as part of their rationale. Also the explosive does not appear to have been tossed directly at the agents' table.
The top agent in the country, U.S. Embassy FBI attache Ray Biteski, suffered serious ear damage, an assistant attache reportedly suffered a concussion and two agents are reported as suffering minor injuries. The two who suffered minor injuries were treated and released. Biteski and a second agent were med-evaced to Europe. This was the first bomb attack on U.S. citizens or government personnel in Pakistan since a church bombing in 2002.
ABC's Pierre Thomas contributed to this report.
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4460837
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Protest in Harvard University for restoration of the Judiciary
There are protests in Boston, New York and Washington this weekend and the following is the press release from the Boston area. Reports from other cities will follow soon. The pictures are in the file attachments.
March 15, 2007
For Immediate Release:
Cambridge, MA: Student Action Committee USA Chapter (SAC-USA) staged a successful protest in Harvard Yard today demanding immediate restoration of the pre-Nov 3 independent judiciary in Pakistan. The protestors condemned - in no uncertain terms- the unconstitutional acts of General (r) Musharraf which include the sacking of an independent judiciary, gagging of media and free speech, suspension of civil liberties and fundamental human rights and illegal detention of judges, lawyers and political opponents without any trial or charges. They chanted "Bring the Judges Back" and "No more Musharraf" and walked from John Harvard Statue to Harvard Square holding black flags and banners.
The protest - which is one of three organized by SAC-USA (the other two being in New York and Washington DC) - attracted a large number of students from Harvard College, Kennedy School of Government, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Massachussetts Institude of Technology, Tufts University, Fletcher School of Law, Boston University and other premier institutions of the Boston region. Joining students in their demands were doctors, lawyers - particularly the National Lawyers Guild, Massachusetts chapter-, professionals of Pakistani origin and other members of American Civil Society.
Speaking to the protestors, Aqil Sajjad, member of SAC-USA, condemned the illegal detention of the Chief Justice and his family. He said that the people of Pakistan want the judges to be restored and Pervez Musharraf to be ousted, the US and the international community should respect their wishes and stop interfering in Pakistan's internal affairs to keep the judges out. He also spoke against the continued detention of the judges with their families, including the Chief Justice whose 8-year old disabled son has been kept in confinement with him and at times denied the medication he needs. He argued that the US government should build a solid relationship with the people of Pakistan instead of supporting a very unpopular dictator.
President of Harvard Philipine Forum, Marlowe Rillera, stressed for the need for an independent judiciary. He said: "An independent judiciary assures people that court decisions will be based on the country's laws and constitution, not on orders of a dictator." In addition he said that while the situation in Pakistan did not affect him or the Philipines directly, he cared so strongly for an independent judiciary and the serious consequences of not having one that he came with his friends to protest.
After the protest, Samad Khurram, a columnist for The Harvard Crimson, said that Musharraf must respect the wishes of the people of Pakistan. He commented on the recent elections as being a heavy blow to Musharraf's rule with an overwhelming number voting against his King's party. "In addition there were a huge number of us who boycotted the elections on principle. If you add both the opposition voters and those who boycotted, the numbers exceed 80% of the country", he noted.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Of Declarations, Restorations and Premiership Aspirations
The victorious parties have acted prudently thus far in the post-election scenario. They must not squander the opportunity the nation has given them in the days to come.
Ammar Rashid
Now that the smoke has cleared from the results of the Feb 18th polls, it is time to assess the nation’s future as it appears from here. The picture certainly appears brighter than before; The King’s men defeated, the opposition victorious and united, the Lawyers’ High Command released and the President (with Peerzada and Qayyum, forever loyal, by his side) backed into the tightest of corners. How the Mighty hath fallen indeed.
The February 18 election may well turn out to be a landmark in our nation’s chequered history, as the harbinger of a new era of democracy and stability, elements missing almost entirely from our political landscape for years. The remarkable sagacity and political maturity on display from the erstwhile political enemies, Sharif and Zardari, in the post-election scenario has also come as quite a surprise. The PPP and PML-N, as the two majority parties, stand united in their commitment to the restoration of the judiciary, the supremacy of the parliament and the choice of diplomacy over military action against the militants in the north. The Murree Declaration has put onto paper what political pundits had been expressing doubt about since the election; the commitment of the leading parties to their election manifestos, their tenacity in the face of blatant foreign interference and their ability to resolve their outstanding differences. The parties have pledged to restore the ousted judges within 30 days of the convening of the National Assembly, participate in each others governments in the Centre and the Punjab, and remove the sweeping powers of the President accorded to him by the contentious Article 58-2 (b). All very noble and worthy ambitions, to be sure; serious obstacles, however, remain to be cleared for their culmination.
In the Presidential camp, the mood is terse and seemingly ripe for confrontation, notwithstanding the rather delusional statements on offer about ‘establishing a working relationship with the parliament for the next five years.’ The legal aides to the sulking President continue to scoff at the possibility of the reinstatement of the judiciary by a parliamentary resolution, terming the notion as ‘unconstitutional’ and claiming the restoration can only be brought about by an amendment in the constitution, for which a 2/3rds majority is required. These same aides continue to assert the primacy and constitutionality of the abrogation of the constitution and ouster of the judges on the 3rd of November. In the event of the threatened parliamentary resolution taking form, it is, therefore, likely that the executive will take recourse to the puppet
That such aides could prompt the embattled President to dismiss the elected Assembly – possibly his last available option - before it can make the crucial decision is an unsettling but remote prospect. In doing so, the President would, in essence, be laying waste to the nation’s mandate, which he so proudly claims to have brought to fruition himself (even though he continues to ignore its rather obvious implications for his rule). Moreover, he would require the wholehearted support of the Army for such a maniacal intervention; something he cannot be so sure of anymore.
The Lawyers’ Movement, now into its second year, has remained resolute in its unwillingness to accept any compromise on the judges’ restoration. Seeing their goal finally within reach, they will not hesitate to take the winning parties to task if they see them wavering. Their leaders have been released and are campaigning in full flow; the recent shows of strength in
It is possible that the biggest threat to the winning parties’ agenda could come, not from the presidential camp, but from within their own ranks. The choice of the PPP’s candidate for premiership has become a bone of contention within the party’s leadership that could create a possible rift within its upper echelons. While it seemed certain that Makhdoom Amin Fahim would get the post earlier, his prospects appear to be growing bleaker by the day. Rumors abound regarding his ties with the President, leading some in the PML-N to voice their mistrust of the Pir from Hala. Moreover, Asif Zardari’s personal premiership aspirations appear to be influencing his proclivities towards appointing a lesser political personality, such as Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar as the temporary PM, to pave the way for his ascent to the throne in the upcoming by-elections. The ramifications of such a decision could be immense and costly.
The possibility of Amin Fahim leading a breakaway faction away from the main body of the PPP could spell the end of the winning parties’ parliamentary aspirations, cloud the political future of the PPP and generate much jubilation in the Presidency. Although the Makhdoom has denied any such plans, it is a possibility that the leadership of the PPP and PML-N must carefully guard against if they wish to achieve their stated aims of strengthening democracy and delivering the country from the throes of military dictatorship. Mr. Zardari, in particular, must realize that his newfound popularity will not survive the test of time if he cannot shelve his personal ambitions for the sake of the country.
The problems that await the winning parties upon the formation of government are immense. The economy has been reduced to tatters, the deprivation of the masses is at an all-time high, the ravages of the war of terror have found their way to the core of the civilian populace and the federation’s unity stands threatened. The pre-requisites of a progressive democratic order need to be established without delay in order to move towards the resolution of our many crises.
But first things first; let’s get the judges back in their courts.
Aitzaz made honorary fellow at Cambridge University
LONDON, March 11 (APP) : Eminent lawyer and President, Supreme Court Bar Association Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan has been made an honorary Fellow at Downing College, Cambridge University. It was announced on Tuesday.
The distinguished Pakistani lawyer and politician read Law at Downing in the 1960s, and was called to the Bar by Gray’s Inn in 1967.
A university’s media release recorded his career and said returning to Pakistan, he developed an internationally respected legal practice while also pursuing a distinguished political career as member of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)CCP Statement on Lahore Bombings
The Concerned Citizens of Pakistan (CCP) condemn in no uncertain terms the third suicide bomb attack in the city of Lahore in recent weeks. We deplore the multiple acts of terror the citizens of Lahore have suffered on 11th March and stress that they are not random, nor inexplicable. The innocent people who are losing their lives are suffering the fallout of the Government's actions and policies while the people responsible for this backlash are seemingly unaffected. We express our deep sympathy for the families of the bereaved and pray for the souls of those who fell victim to the violence.
We welcome the Murree Accord between the two major political parties, agreeing on two very important steps
needed to strengthen democracy in Pakistan. One, the restoration of the judges within 30 days of formation of
Government, and two, the elimination of dictatorship from the country. We also appreciate that the 17th of March
has finally been set for the first session of Parliament, already a month after elections were held. The law and order
situation and the declaration of high security alert in the country should not impede the process or delay it any further.
We demand peaceful transfer of power to the elected representatives and the immediate resignation of Pervez
Musharraf in deference to the peoples' expressed will. The CCP voices the concerns of the people of
Pakistan who have spoken against the Establishment through their vote. The Establishment's war of terror, funded
and backed by the US, is not our war. The US should desist from interference in the internal affairs of Pakistan.
This has already brought terror into our homes. The people of Pakistan must determine their own destiny. We are not
terrorists, in fact we are the victims of this misdirected and unholy war.
In Complete Solidarity, CCPCar Rally on Sunday
BLACK FLAG WEEK
CAR / MOTORCYCLE / TRUCK / BUS / RICKSHAW RALLY
SUNDAY MARCH 16TH 2008
RALLIES WILL START AT 3 PM FROM:
1. SEA VIEW
2. MALIR DISTRICT COURTS
3. BACHA KHAN CHOWK
4. SOHRAB GOTH
ALL RALLIES WILL CULMINATE AT QUAID’S MAZAR AT 5 PM
Please put Black Flags and Stickers on your cars.
Organized by SCBA KBA KUJ PR
Bilal Musharraf, Pakistan Ambassador and Saudi Prince
Now the Website - ePlanet Ventures, founded in 1999 close to the time when general Musharraf has taken over or was taking over Pakistan in a bloodless coup.
What they do -
ePlanet Ventures seeks to provide superior returns to its investors by making private equity investments on a global basis in companies where the application of innovation in technology and/or business models has the potential to create high-growth, category-dominant companies. (link)
Bilal Musharraf serves as the vice president of the eplanet ventures which on their website says:
"We believe that the business and government connections of our Limited Partners represent a valuable asset to our enterprise." (link)
Now few questions that the company should answer:
- What was Shahid Karimullah, Pakistan Ambassador to Saudhi Arabia, doing in this meeting of ePlanet ventures executives with Saudhi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal?
- Does this meeting explain the billions that have been moved out of Pakistan by Musharraf Corporation? Remember the US complained Pakistani funds were diverted by Musharraf. Where did they go? Bilal Musharraf became a millionaire all of a sudden. Does this explain it?
Campaign to Release Names of Pakistani Officials Targeted for Legal Action on Monday
PRESS CONFERENCE
Monday, March 17
6:40 PM
at Pakiza Restaurant
1026 Coney Island Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11230
(corner of Foster Ave.)
B (express) or Q train to: Newkirk Ave. station
2 minute walk to Coney Island Ave.
The March 15th ultimatum issued to General Ashfaque Kiyani of Pakistan
by the Campaign and its partners for the release of an official list
of Pakistanis held without charge by the Pakistan military and
intelligence forces is around the corner. On Monday, March 17th,
6:45pm, the Campaign will report on its efforts to pursue legal action
against key officials from the Pakistan Federal and Provincial
governments that have been implicated in disappearances occurring
within the last five years:
Pakistani officials shortlisted for legal action on part of the
Campaign and its partners include:
Syed Kamal Shah: Internal Secretary (current)
Inspector General Sindh Police (2004)
Ehsan Ul-HAq: ISI Chief 2001-2004;
Chairman Joint Chief of Staff (2004-2007)
Curent Army COAS: Ashfaque Kiyani: 2004-2007)
Ijaz Shah: Chief Intelligence Bureau (2004- Present)
Arbab Ghulam Rahim: Sindh Shief Minister (2004-2007)
Pervaiz Musharraf: President of Pakistan (current)
The Campaign welcomes co-sponsorship and endorsements from
organizations, firms, union locals, bar associations, and individuals.
Endorsed By: Campaign for the Restoration of Democracy in Pakistan
NOW(crdpnow.org), Pakistan USA Freedom Forum, International Action
Center, Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (BHRC), Defense
of Human Rights, Pakistan, National Lawyers Guild
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
PPP Leaders want Zardari to become PM: Mukhtar
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party leader Chaudhery Ahmed Mukhtar has said majority of PPP leaders has agreed to name party’s Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari as new Prime Minister of Pakistan.
Talking to Geo news, Mukhtar said majority of PPP leaders considered Zardari most suitable person for Premiership of the country.
“Leaders have agreed to see him as PM, however, Asif Ali Zardari has the authority to make final decision in this regard, Ahmed Mukhtar added.
Responding to a question about exclusion of Amin Fahim from decision-making process, Mukhtar said Party has not yet made any big decision and the party was united.
President convenes National Assembly session on March 17
ISLAMABAD: President Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday convened the session of National Assembly on March 17.
“The summary reached the President House yesterday evening. In the morning I thought that at the earliest we should call the session...on March 17,” President Musharraf said while addressing at the first convocation of Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) here.
The President said he had signed the summary sent to him by caretaker Prime Minister Muhammadmian Soomro yesterday to summon the session of National Assembly.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
At least 26 killed in two blasts in Lahore
LAHORE, Pakistan, March 11 (Agencies) - Two bombs exploded in Lahore city, capital of Punjab province, Tuesday morning, killing at least 26 people and injuring up to 175 others, police and officials said. The first bomb went off at about 9.25 a.m. outside the city-centre Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) offices, badly damaging the eight-storey building and nearby buildings on the busy Mall Road. Reports said 20 persons were killed. �We're trying to evacuate the wounded trapped under the debris,� FIA chief Tariq Pervez told Reuters from Islamabad. Chaudhry Manzoor, the director of the agency, which focuses on illegal immigration, said 14 employees had been killed.
A second bomb went off in the mainly residential neighbourhood of Model Town, about 10 km from the site of the first blast, killing two children and another person, besides the two suicide bombers, said a city administrator, Mian Ejaz. Police said the second attack was caused by a suicide car bomb. The car had two people inside and blew up after it was stopped at the gate of an advertising agencies office. Last week a twin-suicide bombing killed five people in an attack on a navy college in the city. According to private TV channels the blast at the FIA building took place near the elevator. On the other hand, the posh Model Town blast was caused when the explosive laden vehicle was dashed against the boundary wall of the bungalow housing the advertising agency. The two children killed were brothers. Emergency has been declared in Lahore hospitals which have so far received up to 100 injured, the TV channels reported. (First Posted @ 09:50 PST, Updated @ 19:15 PST)
March 11: Seminar "Adliya ki Azadi - Awam ki Azadi"
People's Resistance
"Adlia ki Azadi: Awam ki Azadi"
4:30 pm, March 11, 2008
PMA House, Garden Road, Karachi
The issue of justice affects all of us directly. This seminar explores why all Pakistanis should care about the restoration of an independent judiciary, and includes perspectives from everyday Pakistani citizens on why an independent judiciary matters to them.
CHIEF GUEST: Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court, Mr. Justice Sabihuddin Ahmad
Speakers include:
Women's Issues: Ms. Nazish Brohi
Students' Issues: Mr. Khurram Ali (Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party)
Media Issues: Mr. Ghazi Salahuddin
Privatization and Labour Issues: Mr. Dhani Baksh Samoon (People's Workers' Union, Pakistan Steel Mills)
PLEASE JOIN US!
To confirm, RSVP 0300 293 8550WAF Press Release
There were several events organised in Lahore on 8th March, the International Women’s Day.
WAF, Lahore held a press conference at the Lahore Press Club. The well attended Press Conference began with dedicating the day this year to Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto to acknowledge her contributions and her ultimate sacrifice for the country and its people; followed by highlighting the significance of the day and its brief history; reading out of the statement; a brief review of WAF’s struggle for women’s rights and democracy in Pakistan, its opposition to military rule and more recently its whole hearted support for the restoration of the judiciary. There was a lively question answer session with reference to the WAF statement and the conference ended with Rubina Saigol’s recitation of her poem “Wifaq”
The press conference ended with the re-iteration of the demand for the restoration of the judiciary and return to 2 November constitution. Black flags and stickers (“adilya bahal karo”, etc.) were handed out to all participants and a procession taken out with placards and banners, and yellow balloons (WAF colour) were let off. Popular slogans for the restoration of the judiciary, ouster of Musharraf (“Go Musharraf Go”), women’s rights (“Still Marching On…), constitutionalism, etc. were raised. Representatives of lawyers, students, women and minorities organizations, NGOs and others participated. Passers-by raised Victory signs in support. Police was present in large numbers police but stayed away from the demonstrators.
The press conference was varyingly reported in the Lahore edition of different newspapers: detailed reports in DT, News and Jung, only a picture in the Nation. Samaa and a few other local TV channels covered the press conference and the demonstration in their 8th March round up.
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