CCP rally assaulted

The CCP rally from Lahore to Islamabad, passing through various other cities, was assaulted by the police on its way. Details of this incident are still awaited. There is also news of a protest outside the press club, right now, to condemn this illegal and uncalled-for attack on a peaceful rally.

(More details soon)

The 'Marsia' of Our Time: Story of Pakistan’s Missing - Part 1

The most tragic part of Saud Memon’s story is the fact that he never told it. He never could. Not because of any curtailment of the freedom of speech, not because of political pressure, not because he didn’t want to. He could not tell the world about what goes on in Guantanamo Bay or in ISI’s cells in Pakistan. He died before that.

In its 60-year history, the Supreme Court of Pakistan could not have witnessed a more tragic scene than what it saw on May 4th, 2007: A 44-years-old emaciated man, reduced to 80 pounds, was produced before the Court, lying on a stretcher. Abducted by the security agencies in 2003, he had been kept in detention in Guantanamo Bay, then in Afghanistan and finally in ISI’s torture cells in Pakistan. He had survived Guantanamo. He survived Afghanistan. But ISI took him. Finally, as a result of a nationwide campaign by families of the missing people, and the Supreme Court’s suo moto intervention, the government was forced to release him. They dumped him in a garbage heap near his house, after beating him to a pulp. Some neighbors recognized him and brought him home. He could neither walk nor hold his head. A week later he was presented before the country’s Supreme Court which had managed to make the ISI capitulate

As many in his audience were brought to tears, advocate Shaukat Akhtar Siddiqui proclaimed, “This skeleton of a man has a reward of Rs3 million on his head in the Red Book of our Interior Ministry,” pointing to the emaciated body of Saud Memon.

The FBI had arrested Mr Memon, 44, on March 7, 2003, because Daniel Pearl’s body had been found on a plot of land allegedly owned by him. He was never given a chance to defend, because a case was never filed against him. He was not even arrested because then he'd have to be presented before a court. There was so little evidence to link him with that crime that he could not even have been indicted before any court, in Pakistan or the US. The governments in Pakistan and the United States, though, couldn’t care less. Daniel Pearl was dead and someone or another had to be framed. Saud Memon was unlucky enough.

On Saturday, May 18, 2007 only 20 days after his was finally released from illegal detention, he died of meningitis and brain TB - all that he had gone through in the US’s and Pakistan’s torture cells simply killed him.

As Muharram wanes, the victims of Karbala must not wither from our memories. Here in the our midst, quite bemoaned remains a son of the nation, Saud Memon – on of the most tragic victims in Pakistan’s history - and hundreds of other missing people still languish in torture cells. If the text-books that we teach our kids are to bear the names of martyrs and victims, then shoulder to shoulder with all those soldiers should be standing (or lying down) this victim of the government’s brutality, and, perhaps, our own insensitivity. Indeed, the true marsia of our times is the story of Pakistan’s missing – a story that we must sit in a majalis to weep over, in the hope that by this public admission of guilt and expression of remorse, a nation that has so brutally wronged so many of its sons and daughter may be forgiven. May it be that in this weeping, we find atonement for our sins.

************************
This was essentially the message of an event arranged today by the Rule of Law Project and LUMS Law & Politics Society.

More on this tomorrow

An Activist Fights Back

(An unusually interesting series of emails is being exchanged on the SAC's mailing list. In a fairly attacking mail, one Ms. S raised a series of objections against the continuing struggle of lawyers, students, civil society activists, media and the judiciary, and advocated the current government's case.

In the message underneath, one Mr. Wasion Ali Khan fights back in brutally compelling prose, touching upon some of the most crucial issues facing Pakistan today, including the Waziristan War.)

******************

As explained by Miss S, the Human Rights commission, lawyers and other people of THEIR category DID NOT raised hue cry for the support of the military personnel being slaughtered in Waziristan and no one is listening to their plight (media that is).

Ms. S., May I ask that was it our fault in the first place to send those soldiers to fight fellow Pakistanis? Was it our fault that a mad dictator (who has usurped all powers and is trying to act llike Amir-Ul-Momineen) has corrupted a professional department by engaging it in civil matters and using force to solve all matters? Was it a popular vote by us, common Pakistanis, common man, that forced Mr. Musharraf to send the sons of Pakistan to kill other sons and families of Pakistan in Waziristan?

Are you willing to accuse and blame media and judiciary for not giving adequate COVERAGE to the DEATHS of our sons instead of going into the root of all problems, i.e. Mr. Musharraf??

Are you deft and blind to all the reality around you? Did you miss the carnage of 12th May as Mr. Kamil pointed out so clearly in his reply? Did you miss the judicial crisis Mr. Musharraf caused? Did you miss the reaction of judicial community throughout the world that was in favor (and still is) of deposed Chief Justice? Have you not realized that economic crisis our country is in? Did you miss to notice the spoon-feeded facts of government are blindfold to hide reality? Did you miss noticing the privatization fiasco? Did you miss the warm welcome that Benazir received with a bang on returning to Pakistan? Did you miss the fiasco the government created regarding the manner of her death? Did you miss Musharraf breaking his promise? Did you miss members of Q League saying that Lal Masjid crisis were settled but Musharraf ordered the assult?

Did you miss growing up and being mature?

Red Mosque Terrorists? How dare you. Whether they were trouble-makers, whether they were morons or whether they puppets or pawns in the great political game of Pakistan, they were fellow Pakistanis and were helped by Musharraf himself to be what they were and seeing the right time he disposed them off. Why aren't you crying over media on this, since they fully covered the whole crisis? Why are you showing biased opinions with no clear signs of understanding of politics?

Do you think that thousands of Lawyers that are protesting, boycotting the courts and are currently robbing themselves off their livelihood, are filthy rich rascals? You think they have enough to eat and leave behind for the sons and grand sons to live a life of luxury? You think that judges are opportunists and highly corrupt? Well name me any department that is NOT corrupt since Musharraf came to power? If judges were so corrupt as you indicate, are they idiots as well for missing a chance to get more power by taking oats under PCO? Judges did that 8 years ago and benefitted, you think they would miss a chance like that? You think judges who took oaths under PCO have no chance for corruption at a greater scale? Do you know that since current judges are not being accepted as legal by the lawyers community and since there is no law or legal guidance for such unique matters, the judges are simply giving verdicts of their own choice without the fear of any repercussion (they have full protection from Musharraf) and not even charging hefty sums as verdict fee from the accused but are also receiving financial and administrative benefits from the government for solving cases (irrespective of how they are being solved)?

Are you blind to notice all this? Did you actually read what you wrote in your email before

sending it?

I would advice you to get yourself educated in matters related to Pakistan before entering the arena of Conspiracy Theories. It would benefit you greatly and those around you and most of all, it will be a service to your nation. Think carefully.

In Solidarity

Wasio Ali Khan Abbasi

Musharraf Limo ambushed in London

London 25 January 2008

President Musharraf's limousine was forced to halt in Park Lane, London, tonight (25 January), when human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell ran in front of his car in protest at the Pakistan dictator's "suppression of democracy and human rights." The ambush happened outside the Hilton Hotel Park Lane, as the President's motorcade drew close to the hotel, where he was scheduled to speak.
“I stood inconspicuously at a bus stop reading a newspaper, waiting for Musharraf's motorcade to arrive,” recalled Mr Tatchell “When the police motorcycle escorts drew level, I ran out into Park Lane and straight in front of the President's car. It screeched to a halt.”
“I unfurled a placard protesting against Musharraf's massacre of civilians in occupied Baluchistan. The placard read: "Stop Pakistan Massacre of Baluch people.”
“Musharraf could clearly see the placard. He did not look pleased. His driver tried to back up and drive around me, but I ran in front of the limousine again, forcing it to halt once more. I could see Musharraf in the back seat shouting something at his driver. Perhaps he feared that I was an assassin or a suicide bomber.”
“The limo reversed again and tried to swerve past me. I blocked it for the third time. Musharraf and his colleagues looked very agitated.”
“Eventually, police motorcycle escorts ran over and dragged me away from the bonnet of Musharraf's vehicle. They pulled me across the road to the central reservation in Park Lane, where I was pinned against the railing.”
“Shortly afterwards, the police let me go and I joined the main anti-Musharraf demonstration outside the Hilton Hotel, organized by lawyers protesting against the arrest of fellow lawyers and supreme court judges in Pakistan.”
“Although my placard specifically condemned Musharraf's human rights abuses in Baluchistan, I support all the people of Pakistan who are struggling against dictatorship and for democracy. It is shameful that the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, is entertaining Musharraf at Downing Street on Monday. He is siding with a dictator against the people of Pakistan.”
“Musharraf is guilty of crimes against humanity, including the indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas in Baluchistan, using weaponry supplied by Britain and the US. Pakistani human rights groups say his regime practices torture, detention with trial and extra-judicial killings.”
“Musharraf is a criminal and should be arrested by the UK authorities and put in trial in The Hague,” said Mr Tatchell.

LAST RALLY outside Aitzaz Ahsan's House before Elections

On Sunday, February 10, we will be holding our LAST RALLY outside Aitzaz Ahsan's house before the elections. LET'S MAKE IT COUNT! Many of you are going on the car rally to Islamabad as well the day before, but please do call on all your energy reserves and try to make it here afterwards.
Sunday feb 10, 3 pm. 5 Zaman Park, canal bank - Lahore.

BE THERE!!
In Complete Solidarity,
CCP

House arrest: judge's daughter tells of family's plight

· Ex-chief justice, wife and children held in Islamabad
· No school or check-ups for disabled eight-year-old

Declan Walsh in Islamabad
Friday February 8, 2008
The Guardian

Pakistan's youngest political prisoner lives in a house on a hill just a few hundred metres from President Pervez Musharraf's soaring presidential palace in Islamabad. Little about him is typical. He is physically disabled, spends his days watching cartoons on TV, and is eight years old.

Bilaj Chaudhry is the son of Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Pakistan's former chief justice. Since he was fired by Musharraf three months ago, the judge, his wife and four children have been locked in their house. Barbed wire barricades block the street, armed police and intelligence agents swarm outside, and visitors are forbidden. The phones have been cut, the water supply disrupted, and an employee who delivers food is carefully searched. Even stepping on to the front lawn is forbidden.

For Musharraf's critics, who now include several retired generals, their ordeal highlights the parlous state of the law as Pakistan hurtles towards elections on February 18. The detention is "entirely unlawful" said a report by the Lahore-based Rule of Law project yesterday.Chaudhry has remained silent, communicating only through angry letters smuggled out to fellow lawyers. But this week his 16-year-old daughter, Palwasha, gave the Guardian a rare interview using a mobile phone. "I'm sitting upstairs and I can see the intelligence men and police from my window. There's maybe 50 of them," she said. "We can't leave."

The A-level student - nicknamed "the commander" by the judge's allies for her ability to smuggle things in and out of the house - said life inside the five-bedroom jail was difficult. A padlock hangs on the front gate and nobody can enter or leave - not even Palwasha's brother, Bilaj, who has been disabled since birth. "He needs a monthly checkup. But that is physically impossible, as you can see," she said.

The Saudi ambassador, who was allowed to visit, tried to lure her father away with the promise of a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. He politely refused.

Officials from the British Council were allowed to conduct a private exam for Palwasha's 18-year-old sister, Ifra. Palwasha herself has read and re-read the Harry Potter books, and fears she will miss her A-levels this summer. "I miss my studies and I miss my friends," she said.
The government claims the Chaudhry family is at liberty to leave. The reality is very different - police with batons and teargas drove back a crowd of supporters who tried to reach the house this week.

Despite numerous attempts, the Guardian was unable to reach a government spokesman for comment yesterday.

Dubbed "Pakistan's forgotten man" by Newsweek, Chaudhry's plight has been largely ignored by Musharraf's western allies, who are reluctant to confront him on the issue. A spokesman for the British high commission in Islamabad said it called for the release of all political detainees, but that it was "not our business to get involved in specific cases".

Lawyers say that stand is eroding popular support for the west. "The US and UK should consider one thing - they are rapidly losing their goodwill in this country," said Athar Minallah, a lawyer.

Meanwhile, Musharraf is pressing ahead with efforts to crush all lawyer-led protests. Last weekend his interim government extended the detention of three senior lawyers, also held since November, by another month.

"This is a disgrace," shouted lawyer Tariq Mahmoud, surrounded by police at his front gate in Islamabad. "What have I done? Am I the biggest terrorist in this country? I have told my children to leave. This is not a country where one can live."

The baton of resistance may be taken up by an unlikely group. On Tuesday several hundred retired generals, admirals and servicemen held a demonstration in Rawalpindi to demand the president's resignation. Musharraf dismissed them as "insignificant", telling the Financial Times: "Most of them are ones who served under me, and I kicked them out."

But the sight of army stalwarts chanting anti-Musharraf slogans on the doorstep of the powerful military establishment may presage more turmoil after the poll.

The chief justice's imprisonment has not become a major election issue, partly due to continuing restrictions on the media. But even Musharraf's aides admit his handling of Chaudhry has been wrong. "We said it was a mistake. We told Mr Musharraf as much as early as last March," said a senior aide, Mushahid Hussain.

Meanwhile the judge remains at home, reading and praying, said his daughter "We are very proud of him," Palwasha said. "I am very conscious that in the end victory will be ours."

Backstory

Human rights groups accuse President Pervez Musharraf of waging a vendetta against Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, the chief justice he fired in November. During a recent tour of Europe Musharraf aides circulated an eight-page memo filled with accusations against the judge.
Pakistan's supreme court dismissed many of the serious charges, nepotism, fraud and abuse of office, last July. But the document also included fresh accusations, mostly in the form of anecdotes, ranging from the comic to the bizarre.

Chaudhry was guilty of "highhandedness", it said, by making civil servants wait hours to see him. He was accused of berating officials in Lahore after they provided him with an old-model Mercedes during a trip to the city. In a visit to a government lodge in the mountains, it was claimed, he stopped a guest from using his toilet.

Chaudhry was accused of an "obsession for self projection" in the media and of bullying state TV into broadcasting his appearances.

A few weeks later Chaudhry smuggled a letter from his house in which he rejected the charges. "They are flimsy and ridiculous," he wrote. "After all, a prisoner must also have his say."
Musharraf's new chief justice, Abdul Hameed Dogar, lives a few doors away. He has yet to rule on the matter.

AAJ TV taken off the air

Beena Sarwar

Aaj TV was taken off the cable network in Rawalpindi/Islamabad at around 11.45 pm on Feb 6 – Aaj reported it was shut down up to Chakwal, 60 km away.

According to Director Current Affairs Nusrat Javeed it was because of his appearance in 'Live with Talat' - "My face not the content is the reason" - as he is among the six talk show hosts (including Shahid Masood and Mushtaq Hamid) that the Musharraf regime has banned from appearing on TV.

According to another source in Islamabad, the shut down could also have been due to Aaj live broadcast of Nawaz's Lahore address in which he said that militants shot down the army helicopter. There is a ban on live broadcasts under the new Pemra code of conduct that all the restored channels either signed, or implicitly agreed to adhere to.

Remember caretaker information minister Nisar Memon's warning to the media to adhere to the Pemra code or face Nov 3-like consequences, speaking in Hyderabad on Feb 2....

(AP News report about the incident here)

Missing Persons Talk at LUMS today

The Law and Politics Society (LPS) in collaboration with the Rule of Law Project brings to you AMNA JANJUA, whose husband "dissappeared" over two years ago.

Mrs. AMNA JANJUA is now leading a group of more than 500 families seeking answers and justice for the abduction of their loved ones, and shall address the students after the airing of a controversial short documentary on the disappeared. What was her husband's fault? Why is he missing? Why are so many missing? If your curious, don't miss this opportunity to directly talk to those personally affected.

DATE: THIS FRIDAY (8th Feb 2008)

TIME: 4pm

VENUE: SAEED SAIGOL, LUMS

Details of Hum Logge Solidarity Rally on the 9th

Today Pakistan stands at the crossroads of chaos and instability. The events of November 3rd, and December 27, 2007, have had a devastating affect on our nation, the Balkanization of which is now a very likely future scenario. The gravity of the situation demands that we, the people of Pakistan, stay united and work for the restoration of our judiciary, which can restore order to our nation. In the wake of rising provincial disharmony and the judicial crisis, Hum Logge has organized a plan to rally under the flag of Pakistanfor solidarity on February 9th, 2008 from Lahore to the capital, Islamabad, via the G.T. road.

"Hum Logge" consists of organizers, in consultation with the Leaders of the Bars and major political parties, who are advocates of civil rights, the independence of judiciary, and a restoration of democracy. The parties will participate in the rally for a national cause since they too stand as a symbol of the Federation. We will rally with full support and enthusiasm from all classes of people (awam: the real people), the Leaders of the Bars and other participants including WAF (Women Action Forum), HRCP (Human Rights Commission of Pakistan), CCP (Concerned Citizens of Pakistan), the members of various NGOs, local civil society groups, SAC (Student Action Committee), and most importantly, the most marginalized citizens of this nation, who are the real voters.

Hum Logge- We, the people, ARE the government. United we stand to make our voice heard.

Objectives:
The rally aims to reiterate the people's demands for the restoration of the judiciary, free and fair elections for democracy, and to show solidarity amongst the four provinces in order to move the country away from the prevailing, vulnerable situation. It's time to work together for the solidarity of our country.

We will join our brethren in Islamabad and together march towards the Supreme Court so that we can influence the present regime to meet our demands. We aim to show solidarity with judicial leaders who are acting players for the suppressed of the country, and who are fighting for the independence of the judiciary, civil liberties, freedom of democracy, a free media, and a society rid of atrocities and tyranny.

We anticipate everyone's involvement and request that all individuals and organizations send their delegations as representatives in large numbers to show strength, power and the struggle of the people of Pakistan for their rights and for democracy.

This is for PAKISTAN and for ALL Pakistanis. It does not matter who you are and what your affiliations are. We ONLY want the Pakistani flag here, be it in the form of the flag itself, stickers, banners, etc. We want to focus on unity instead of the minor differences in agenda that we may have. Now is the time to unite.

We would also be obliged if people can donate cars for transportation to Islamabad. Please do register your cars with us and confirm the number of people you will be bringing along with Bina Qureshi.

Please contact Bina Qureshi and Nabiha Meher in Lahore, and Kamil Hamid in Islamabad for any details and information.

UNITED WE STAND FOR A SOLID PAKISTAN.

Looking forward,

Bina Qureshi
Team leader
Phone number: 0300-8412435
Email: images_help@yahoo.com

Nabiha Meher
Phone #: 0308-4579807
nabihameher@gmail.com

Kamil Hamid
Phone#: 0345-5104892
kamilhamid@gmail.com

Inspirational Meeting with Justice (R) Wajeehuddin

Yesterday some of us had the honour of meeting Justice (Retd) Wajeehuddin, fondly known as the Real President of Pakistan, at Hamid Zaman's home. We thank Mustafa Ramday - Justice Khalil Ramday's son - for arranging the meeting.
For the benefit of all, I would like to recap some of his comments:

1. The movement for the restoration of the judiciary is historic, and *will* succeed.
2. Contrary to what a certain thug has been saying, it will *not* require two-thirds majority in both houses for his actions to be undone. They can be reversed by executive order backed up by even a simple majority in parliament.
3. After the elections, the lawyer's movement will give a certain deadline (backed up by civil society) for the new parliament to reverse the unconstitutional orders passed by musharraf. if need be, the entire nation will be asked, at a predetermined date and time, to come out of their houses, offices and factories briefly to show their unity and solidarity with the movement.
4. If the incoming government fails to restore the judiciary within the proposed time period, we will start a peaceful movement for civil disobedience.
5. At no time, not for a moment, must we allow for another dictator to come and replace the current one. Pervez Musharraf is a symptom of the disease - he is not the disease itself. The disease has been the army's string of forays into governance, administration and politics, directly through military coups and indirectly through behind-the-scenes manipulation of political governments through the ISI.
6. This disease has to be eliminated. If today Kyani is asking for army personnel to not meet politicians - he is only doing his job. Do we commend or put on a pedestal every Pakistani for doing what they are supposed to do anyway? Do not give any army chief the room to feel he is anything more than a servant of the state, as the Founder of our Nation told a complaining colonel once.
7. He also urged members of civil society, to look for amongst themselves, people who possess the qualities of sincerity, selflessness, competence, and above all, compassion for the common man, who could become candidates for the future from different political parties. The political process has never been allowed to mature in Pakistan- and the corruption we see in the political arena is also another symptom of the disease - but we must not give up on this process, nor lose sight of the disease behind these symptoms.

Finally, it is important for all of us in civil society to remember and be prepared for the fact that the the restoration of the judiciary is a key facet (but not the sole one) of our fight for the institution of civil rights, freedom, democracy and rule of law. Our battle will be a long and drawn-out one, and we must not lose energy, nor hope, nor focus.

In Continuing Solidarity,

Concerned Citizens of Pakistan (CCP)

Imran Khan barred from entering Karachi

(Courtesy DAWN)

Pakistani authorities barred opposition politician Imran Khan from entering Karachi on Thursday because he has called for a boycott of upcoming elections, officials said. Former cricket legend Khan was put back on a plane to Islamabad after officials prevented him from entering the southern province of Sindh, of which Karachi is the capital, Sindh home minister Akhtar Zamin said. “We do not want anything to disrupt the elections. That is why have sent him back,” Zamin told AFP. “If he does not want to contest elections, it is fine, but he should not incite other people to do so. He will be welcome to visit Sindh after elections.” “It is for the third time that Imran Khan had been externed from Karachi and it is highly condemnable,” Khan's party secretary general Arif Alvi told AFP.

Military Retirees Demand Musharraf’s Resignation

By CARLOTTA GALL and SALMAN MASOOD
Published: February 6, 2008

(Courtesy The New York Times)

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan — Several hundred retired generals, admirals and servicemen gathered Tuesday for the third time in two weeks in this military town and demanded the resignation of President Pervez Musharraf.
They had assembled for a seminar, but in an unprecedented public protest, a retired army chief, several retired generals and dozens of former servicemen came out onto the main road chanting and shouting against Mr. Musharraf.
Just two weeks after they first assembled on Jan. 22 and wrote a resolution calling on Mr. Musharraf to resign, the retired officers’ movement is starting to build momentum and appears poised to take over where the lawyers’ movement, with its main leaders under house arrest, has stalled.
The campaign was also to warn the government not to try to interfere in the parliamentary elections on Feb. 18. The retired officers met for a seminar about Kashmir, the territory that Pakistan and India claim, organized by the Pakistan Ex-Servicemen’s Society, which cares for the welfare of retired military personnel, in a hotel near the Army General Headquarters. The speeches soon turned political, taking aim at Mr. Musharraf, blaming him for abandoning Kashmir, stifling an independent judiciary and perpetuating his one-man rule.
“He has messed things up; look at the law and order,” said Lt. Gen. Jamshed Gulzar Kiani, a retiree who was the corps commander of Rawalpindi, one of the most important posts in the army, under Mr. Musharraf when he was commanding general of the armed forces.
The rash of suicide bombings and the fighting raging in two of Pakistan’s four provinces were the main concerns the former generals raised.
Mr. Kiani said that Mr. Musharraf gave an elaborate seven-point order of action when he seized power in 1999, but that after eight years he had not delivered on any of them.
“Where is the interprovincial harmony?” he asked. “Where is the law and order? Even the economy is going down with escalating food prices. The net result of the eight-year rule is a complete mess-up of the country.”
Another former general, Ali Kuli Khan, who was passed over for the top army job when Mr. Musharraf was appointed to it in 1998, expressed his frustration with a cricket term. “We are here to bring the lesson home that you have had enough of an innings,” he said, “and unless you back off it will not be possible for things to calm down.”
The outbursts, by traditionally loyal and discreet men of the armed forces, represent yet another sign of the growing resentment in Pakistan against Mr. Musharraf, whose popularity has plunged since last March, when he dismissed the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.
The disaffection has grown sharply since Nov. 3, when Mr. Musharraf imposed martial law to see through his own election to another presidential term and since the Dec. 27 assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the opposition leader and former prime minister, as she campaigned.
Last month the former servicemen issued a statement urging Mr. Musharraf to resign and hand over power to Mr. Chaudhry, who has been under house arrest since Nov. 3.
Mr. Musharraf, who was in Europe at the time, attacked his detractors. “They are insignificant personalities,” The Financial Times quoted him as saying in an interview at the Davos World Economic Forum. “Most of them are ones who served under me, and I kicked them out.”
Most of the retired officers at the meeting dismissed his remarks by saying that they considered him a junior officer. Mr. Kiani, who had served under General Musharraf, said the ex-servicemen supporting the movement were now far more than the original 100 who signed a statement last month calling for him to step down.
The generals’ movement is important because Mr. Musharraf is more likely to listen to his peers, several at the meeting said.
“This development, and their involvement, is unprecedented,” said Roedad Khan, a retired senior bureaucrat who was a guest speaker at the seminar. “This is bound to change the course of events, and very soon.” As he arrived he was welcomed by one of the organizers, who exclaimed that the servicemen wanted to draw in representatives of the bureaucracy to their campaign.
Mr. Kiani urged Mr. Musharraf to “please quit” and said his policies were putting the army at the center of controversy. “We don’t want any finger pointing at Pakistan Army,” Mr. Kiani said in his speech.
Asad Durrani, another lieutenant general who led the Inter-Services Intelligence agency, said the protest voiced by the retired military officers was “long overdue.” He denied that the retired generals were being urged by some quarters in the Pakistan Army, which under the leadership of its new chief, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, has shown signs of distancing itself from politics.
“Nobody has been told anything,” Mr. Durrani said.
But one retired general in the audience, who asked not to be identified because of the political nature of his comments, suggested that there was a similar mood among current officers. “If you are getting all of this from people who have been in uniform, it is likely that those still in uniform feel the same way,” he said.

Pictures from PR Street Theatre on Tuesday

Chief Justice of Pakistan and Three Prominent Lawyers Declared Political Prisoners

For Immediate Release: Thursday, 7th February, 2008

Lahore, Pakistan - In a briefing paper released today, the LUMS Rule of Law Project concludes that the detention of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and advocates Aitzaz Ahsan, Justice(ret'd) Tariq Mehmood and Ali Ahmed Kurd violates Pakistan's constitution as well as customary international law. The report finds that the four are political prisoners and recommends their immediate release.
The briefing paper addresses the factual and legal bases for the detention of each detainee. Ahsan, Mehmood and Kurd have received detention orders purporting to justify their detention under theMaintenance of Public Order Ordinance. The briefing paper concludes that there is sufficient evidence of mala fide, or bad faith, to render each order subject to legal challenge in Pakistan's high courts under Article 199 of the Constitution.
The Chief Justice and his family have been detained in their official residence since November 3, 2007, without any legal processor detention order. The report notes that this detention violates several provisions of the constitution and is therefore entirely unlawful.
"These detentions are particularly troubling because the detainees have been targeted for the peaceful expression of their political beliefs," stated American lawyer Devin Theriot-Orr, director of the Rule of Law Project. "The detainees are in a double-bind because theyare suffering under an unlawful detention and have no forum where they can seek to enforce their rights following Musharraf's removal of the majority of appellate judges in November."
The briefing paper recommends that Pakistan release the detainees immediately and that international human rights organizations and concerned individuals put pressure on the Pakistani government to protect the fundamental rights of Pakistani citizens. The brief also recommends the reinstatement of all deposed judges and the restoration of the constitution to it's status on November 2, 2007.
This paper follows on the Project's release of a report in January entitled Defending Dictatorship: U.S. Foreign Policy and Pakistan's Struggle for Democracy. The report, co-authored by members of a delegation from the United States National Lawyers Guild, concludedthat U.S. support for President Musharaff and its failure to demand restoration of the deposed judges will have long-term negative impacts on the judiciary and the rule of law in Pakistan and damage regional safety and security.
Professors Roger Normand and Justice (ret'd) Jawwad Khawaja of LUMSestablished the Rule of Law Project to serve as an academic clearing house for documentation and research regarding constitutionalism and the rule of law in Pakistan.

CONTACT: Devin Theriot-Orr, LUMS Rule of Law Project, +92(334)428-9694, rlp@riseup.net

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT: http://ruleoflawproject.org/pubs/briefing01.pdf

External debt hits$40.322bn in 4 years

(Dawn, February 06, 2008)

By Shahid Iqbal KARACHI, Feb 5: How much the government added to the external debt is much more important than the build-up of a heap of new record domestic debt, addinga trillion rupees to the total.

The huge external debt, which witnessed an addition of about $7billion to the total of over $40 billion in just four years, is set to start a vicious cycleof borrowing — servicing — borrowing. The rising bill of external debt-servicing gets more importance in the wake of widening current account deficit.

This deficit curtails the government’s ability to pay external bills, forcing it to borrow to meet the requirement or sell the assets it has for yieldingforeign exchange. The government has been paying about $3 billion each year as debt-servicing despite rescheduling of Paris Club consortium debt which has the largest sharein the total debt.

The latest figures issued by the State Bank showed that the total external debt reached $40.322 billion from $33.352 billion since 2003-04. The addition of about $6.9 billion in just four years showed that the government borrowed massively to meet its external payment. This has increased the cost of debt-servicing.

The future government is bound to borrow more to keep itself able to make external payments. This could bethe second biggest task of the future government after de-freezing the petroleum prices. The future government will have to carry out another task to launch Global Depository Receipts (GDRs) to raise dollars for its increasing demand.

The dollar demand has multiplied after record oil prices which hit $100 per barrel. The slow export growth and high import growth is another difficult area which demands more dollars. The country’s foreign exchange reserves have stared depleting but still these are about $15 billion. This will be the toughest task for the future government to maintain reserves and keep the payment system smooth.

The foreign exchange reserves have been a trade mark of success of the previous government. Both the Prime Minister and President referred the forex reserves as one of the biggest successes in numerous speeches they made in last couple of years. The SBP’s data showed that the government of Shaukat Aziz went beyond all records of increasing domestic debt which rose by almost one trillion rupees infive year to make the total as Rs2.7 trillion.

According to the report, the previous government which completed its five-year tenure increased the domestic debt by 58 per cent in five years. The government broke all records of previous governments to add such huge debt on the back of the weak economy. The previous government added both the external and domestic debt on such a scale which never happened before.

The caretaker government has followed the same path and has been borrowing at the fastest speed. The State Bank in its monetary policy criticised huge borrowing from the State Bank. The SBP accused the government of accelerating inflation through huge borrowing and destroying all efforts of the SBP to control inflation. The governmentborrowed about Rs237 billion from SBP in six months.

Myth Busters: Researchers Needed

Project Editor: Syed Saad Rizvi
Contact info: saadmustafa.rizvi@gmail.com

Serious researchers needed.
Educate yourself and the people of Pakistan.
Show the world that the much clamor of economic growth is a fraud.
Stop the blasphemy against the judiciary, friends and civil society.
Help unearth the misuse of state resources and privileges by a few Generals that has destroyed the stature of our once loved Pakistan army.
Myth busters needs you!
If you are interested in working to expose the lies spread by Musharraf and his PR team please get in touch with the editor.

Parliament Watch

http://pw.org.pk/

Tired of Personality based politics?
Don't want to see the same corrupt politicians getting re-elected again and again and again?
Want to see new faces in these upcoming elections?
Know inside information about a candidate that the world should know?
Want to be part of the struggle for rule of law, democracy and power to the people?
Then Parliament Watch is Just for you

Parliament Watch is an objectively based political candidate review project. It is meant to promote an "informed" voting behavior by creating transparency of the election process. The goal of this project is to help voters choose the right candidates to avoid corruption, nepotism, and undemocratic ideals. It serves as a medium for the public to voice their opinions and help portray the candidates. This project offers objective reviews on candidates based on documentation of the Election Commission of Pakistan, Pakistani media, and publicly available documents and research material. This project contains surveys, polls, and indices that provide statistical data on the candidates.

This project is one of the projects of the Future Leaders of Pakistan (FLP) by which members have collaborated to provide the people of Pakistan a tool for deciding who to vote for. It is with this project, that the members hope to induce the civil society to create a stronger polity for informed decision making. Parliament Watch focuses on Members of National Assembly and the Senate of Pakistan and with further funding will provide more information and reviews of other assemblies that make up the polity of our country.

But you can't leave your office, house or dorm? Or are not in Pakistan?Don't worry, you can still contribute by giving a few minutes of your time by:

- reading about the candidates that interest you, to ensure the information is accurate - giving ratings on a candidate's CDI index
- providing links to his interviews and news articles in the comments section
- typing stuff you hear about a candidate on TV, Radio or from people.
- helping us gather the manifestos of each candidate and the parties.

Our plan is to get enough information on as many candidates as possible and hopefully with the help of sponsors distribute agendas amongst the masses. Even if we get a few cities done, it will be a good start that hopefully we'll be able to improve on once the real judiciary is reinstated.

Remember the website: www.pw.org.pk

Politicians commit to spend more on education

By Iftikhar A. Khan

ISLAMABAD, Feb 5: Mainstream political parties Tuesday committed themselves to enhance the education budget from 2.4 per cent to 4 per cent of the GDP within the next three years with an increased focus on areas lagging behind in education and literacy indicators.They signed a declaration to the effect at the conclusion of a multi-party conference on ‘Education for All in Pakistan’ organised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT), a foreign- funded NGO.

The parties committed to allocate 10 per cent of the annual education budget to literacy programmes, arrange free and compulsory primary education, and ensure 100 per cent primary enrolment, and 85 per cent adult literacy by the year 2015.In a bid to impress that they mean it, the parties promised to abolish political favouritism and interference in education departments, to modernise and introduce a uniform core curriculum in schools across the country and to effectively utilise the allocated education budget each year.Though the political parties pledged to enhance the education budget, the commitment by almost half of them does not mean anything at this stage due to their decision to boycott the polls.

The three major political parties including PML, PML-N and PPP remained in government, but took no practical steps in this direction. These parties, however, have made promises in their election manifestoes to focus on the education sector.The 16 political parties which signed the Joint Declaration were represented by Senator Mushahid Hussain (PML), Raja Zafarul Haq (PML-N), Shah Mahmood Qureshi (PPP), Prof Ibrahim (JI), Senator Tahir Mashhadi (MQM), Senator Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli (PPP- Sherpao) and Dr Arif Alvi (PTI), Haji Mohammad Adeel (ANP), Takri M. Mengal (BNP-Awami), Dr Jehanzeb Jamaldini (BNP-Mengal), Senator Shahid Bugti (JWP), Maulana Amjad Khan (JUI-F), Pir Nasir Jamil Hashmi (JUP-Noorani), Prof Sajid Mir (JAH), Dr Abdul Hayee Baloch (NP), Senator Abdur Rahim Mandokhel (PMAP).Some of the participants of the moot called for a proper system of check and balance to ensure proper utilisation of funds, alleging that a huge chunk of funds for education was siphoned off by the bureaucracy.

Speaking on the occasion, Senator Mushahid Hussain announced that his party had the plans to initiate mass literacy programmes across the country, increase teacher retirement age from 60 to 65 years, modernisation of curriculum and to ensure transparency in scholarship awards.He emphasized the need to ease visa restrictions on Pakistani students seeking to undertake advanced studies in physics and engineering due to a negative perception of Pakistan’s nuclear state status.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Punjab PPP chief pointed out the sustained lack of political will in developing the education sector citing over 22 policy action plans introduced by various governments and their inability to foster any change in basic education and literacy indicators.While endorsing the Joint Declaration commitment of increasing education budget to 4 per cent of the GDP, he stressed on removing institutional weaknesses that hinder effective use of education funds and building of institutions’ capacity to enable them properly utilise funding.

Raja Zafarul Haq highlighted the potential of youth and pointed out that when given the right opportunities and access to education they can exceed internationally set standards of high learning achievement. He observed that mere increase in the education budget would not make any improvement, but an overall change in the strategy was required for it.

Senator Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli termed education as the key to success. She said under the constitution free primary education has to be ensured in minimum possible time. Advocating for allocating more resources for public sector education, she pointed out that Malaysia spends 26 per cent of GDP on education.Dr Abdul Hayee Baloch and Haji Adeel elaborated stressed the need for teaching mother language at primary level. Endorsing this view, Senator Shahid Bugti compared the bleak education and literacy scenario in Pakistan with the much poorer countries of Africa with better adult literacy rates including Rwanda, Malawi and Nigeria.Senator Abdur Rahim Mandokhel underlined the need to make political parties accountable to the masses and not to the perceived power bases of the country as witnessed over the years. He said education budget should be increased, but there must be a system of accountability in place to ensure proper utilisation of the funds.Dr Jehanzeb Jamaldini and Nasir Jamil Hashmi pointed out the problem of political interference at the district level and proposed more accountability and transparency in the system.

Yasin Zafar called for encouragement and improvement in religious educational institutions bringing them at par with the mainstream educational institutions.Senator Mashadi endorsed the mainstreaming of religious institutions with a focus on modernising their curricula and to abolish the existing multi-class education systems in the country.

(Coutresy Dawn, Feb 6, 2008)

People's Resistance Street Theatre in Karachi

Faris

Yesterday (Feb.5th, Tuesday), the street theatre group of PR did three chilling performances on sea view. It was an 8 minutes long theatre which highlighted the plight of a poor household, where a 'chowkidaar' takes absolute control by promising 'khushhaali' to its inhabitants. Instead of their situation getting any better, the family is fed-up by the chowkidaar's demands for security measures in their home. Finally, complete chaos takes place as the situation of the family and of society in general goes from bad to worst. During the pandemonium, the narrator stops everyone and interacts with the crowd.

A lot of different and interesting views were exchanged with people on the beach. However, probably because of my green army cap and crude punjabi-accented portrayal of the 'chowkidaar', people immediately answered Musharaff as the main culprit for the family's plight. When asked what could be the solution for the household's problems, many people simply suggested the removal of the army from civilian affairs, while others stated that all of us have to work together for the nation's betterment.

The theatre ended with the actors and people from the crowd moving in a tight circle and shoving off the 'chowkidaar', who tries to break into them shouting 'main khushhaali lay kar hi aaon ga!' 'main ghar ki behtari karon ga!' People who joined us in this circle in all three performances were really happy to be a part of the solution.

We would like to thank the handful of PR people who showed up. It was disheartening to see that they were less in number than my own personal friends.

We must all thank Abira for providing her house for the past whole week for our theatre training. I would personally like to thank Mr. Shahid Shafaat, our theatre guru, without whose dedication and training none of this would be possible. Please if everyone can send him a thank you note on his email address: shahidshafaat@hotmail.com, its the least we can do to appreciate his commitment. Finally, PR theatre group would not have even gathered if it wasn't for Ambreen's efforts. She has done a great job of coordinating and motivating everyone interested to participate. Great work Ambreen!

We have tentatively planned to perform again on Sunday Feb.9th, obviously keeping in mind everyone's availability and the current political situation.

HRCP denounces fresh curbs on Aitzaz and Tariq

Lahore, February 4: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) regrets that the government could not stomach its good act of restoring Aitzaz Ahsan and Tariq Mahmood to freedom for more than 24 hours. The tactic used by the government to evade its obligation to refer their cases to the Review Board reminds one of practices favoured by autocrats of the most contemptible variety. An administration that circumvents its legal and moral duties in this manner undermines the very foundations of an order based on respect for law. What makes the action against these distinguished lawyers reprehensible, from the very first day of their incarceration, is the fact that they have not been accused of any offence, and what they are supported to be prevented from doing is not a crime in any democratic dispensation. Their detention at the moment also amounts to a crude interference with the electoral process. The orders of their detention must be withdrawn forthwith.

Iqbal Haider,

Secretary General