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Gandalf Grey
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Human Rights Watch speaks out on the crisis in Pakistan
By Mary Shaw
Created Nov 6 2007 - 8:45am
Human Rights Watch [1] has issued a press release calling on Pakistan to
"immediately return to constitutional rule, restore fundamental rights, and
end its crackdown on the judiciary, lawyers, media, human rights activists
and political opponents."
The organization also called on the Bush administration to "end its support
for Pakistan's military government and to seek an urgent return to the rule
of law and elected governance in Pakistan."
Below is the text of the press release:
Pakistan: End Emergency Rule and Restore Constitution
Move Against 'Militants' Brings Crackdown on Civil Society
(New York, November 4, 2007) - Pakistan should immediately return to
constitutional rule, restore fundamental rights and end its crackdown on the
judiciary, lawyers, media, human rights activists and political opponents,
Human Rights Watch said today.
General Pervez Musharraf, the Pakistani military ruler whose recent
election as president had yet to be ratified by the Supreme Court, declared
a state of emergency at 5 p.m. on November 3, 2007. Following the
declaration [2], Pakistani authorities arrested hundreds, mostly judges,
lawyers, and human rights activists. Musharraf has imposed sweeping
censorship rules on the media. All private television channels and
international media have been taken off the air.
On November 4, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz suggested that national
elections scheduled for January 2008 may be postponed.
"On the pretext of fighting militants, General Musharraf has mounted a
coup against Pakistan's civil society," said Brad Adams, Asia director at
Human Rights Watch. "Musharraf says the country needs emergency laws to
fight fundamentalists, yet the crackdown is focused on the judiciary,
lawyers, media and human rights activists. It's clear this is aimed solely
at keeping himself in power."
On the evening of November 3, a seven-member bench of the Supreme Court
headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry convened to issue an
order barring the government from proclaiming emergency rule and urging
government functionaries not to implement emergency orders. These judges
were forcibly removed from the Supreme Court premises by military troops and
detained thereafter. Chaudhry, who has led efforts to establish an
independent judiciary and had survived an attempt by Musharraf earlier this
year to dismiss him, was summarily fired.
Only four of the Supreme Court's 17 judges have taken an oath of
allegiance to the Provisional Constitutional Order issued on November 3 by
Musharraf, which suspended the constitution and gave Musharraf almost total
power. At least 60 of 97 senior judges in Pakistan have also declined to
take an oath. Many have been placed under detention to prevent them from
resuming judicial duties.
"Musharraf has claimed he was building the rule of law, but in his
single-minded determination to cling to power he has eviscerated the
judiciary," said Adams. "He has exposed himself as nothing more than a petty
tyrant."
Human Rights Watch called for the release of all political activists
rounded up by the authorities. On November 4, Aziz said on Pakistan state
television that more than 500 people have been arrested. This includes
hundreds of lawyers across the country, including Aitzaz Ahsan, president of
the Supreme Court Bar Association, office bearers and presidents of
provincial bar associations, and virtually all leading lawyers associated
with the movement for judicial independence that began on March 9 with the
attempted ouster of Chaudhry as chief justice by Musharraf. While some
lawyers have been placed in police custody, Human Rights Watch has learned
that others, including Ali Ahmed Kurd, a senior lawyer from Balochistan,
have been handed over to the military's feared Inter Services Intelligence
(ISI) agency. The ISI has a well-documented history of using torture on its
political opponents.
The offices of the non-governmental Human Rights Commission of Pakistan in
the central city of Lahore were raided on November 4, and 60 of the
country's most prominent human rights activists were arrested as they
attended a meeting. Police had no written orders and are claiming the right
to detain those arrested for up to 90 days under the colonial-era
Maintenance of Public Order Act. The detainees are being held at the police
lock-up in Model Town (Block A), Lahore, and their families have not been
allowed access to them.
Asma Jahangir, chairperson of the human rights commission and a United
Nations Special Rapporteur, was served a 90-day detention order on the night
of November 3. She remains under house arrest after her house was officially
deemed a sub-jail.
Around 30 television news channels have gone off the air since November 3.
Cable television operators told Human Rights Watch they were asked by the
government to stop beaming all local and foreign news channels, except the
state-controlled Pakistan Television. Hours later, Musharraf introduced
curbs on the media through two decrees [3] amending earlier ordinances
barring the media from printing or broadcasting "anything which defames or
brings into ridicule the head of state, or members of the armed forces, or
executive, legislative or judicial organ of the state."
The print and electronic media have also been restrained from publishing
any material that is likely to "jeopardize or be prejudicial to the ideology
of Pakistan or the sovereignty, integrity or security of Pakistan, or any
material that is likely to incite violence or hatred or create inter-faith
disorder or be prejudicial to maintenance of law and order." Television
discussions on anything which is deemed to be "false or baseless" by the
regulatory authorities has also been banned.
Journalists have been repeatedly threatened and prevented from covering
events following suspension of the constitution, had their equipment
confiscated, and been warned that if they record footage of arrests or
police raids, they will face arrest and incarceration.
Human Rights Watch urged the United States, Musharraf's main patron, to
end its support for Pakistan's military government and to seek an urgent
return to the rule of law and elected governance in Pakistan. Human Rights
Watch welcomed the statement issued by the US embassy in Islamabad calling
for the release of those detained and an end to censorship, and the
statement from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that the US would review
its aid to Pakistan. "The United States has never put all of its chips on
Musharraf," she was quoted as saying. Musharraf ignored public calls by
senior US government officials not to impose a state of emergency.
"This is as big a test for the Bush administration as it is for
Musharraf," said Adams. "Thus far, Washington's long support for a military
government has merely led to an unprecedented political crisis that could
lead Pakistan to disaster, not least in the effort to address international
terrorism."
_______
--
NOTICE: This post contains copyrighted material the use of which has not
always been authorized by the copyright owner. I am making such material
available to advance understanding of
political, human rights, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues. I
believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of such copyrighted material as
provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright
Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107
"A little patience and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their
spells dissolve, and the people recovering their true sight, restore their
government to its true principles. It is true that in the meantime we are
suffering deeply in spirit,
and incurring the horrors of a war and long oppressions of enormous public
debt. But if the game runs sometimes against us at home we must have
patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an opportunity of winning
back the principles we have lost, for this is a game where principles are at
stake."
-Thomas Jefferson
By Mary Shaw
Created Nov 6 2007 - 8:45am
Human Rights Watch [1] has issued a press release calling on Pakistan to
"immediately return to constitutional rule, restore fundamental rights, and
end its crackdown on the judiciary, lawyers, media, human rights activists
and political opponents."
The organization also called on the Bush administration to "end its support
for Pakistan's military government and to seek an urgent return to the rule
of law and elected governance in Pakistan."
Below is the text of the press release:
Pakistan: End Emergency Rule and Restore Constitution
Move Against 'Militants' Brings Crackdown on Civil Society
(New York, November 4, 2007) - Pakistan should immediately return to
constitutional rule, restore fundamental rights and end its crackdown on the
judiciary, lawyers, media, human rights activists and political opponents,
Human Rights Watch said today.
General Pervez Musharraf, the Pakistani military ruler whose recent
election as president had yet to be ratified by the Supreme Court, declared
a state of emergency at 5 p.m. on November 3, 2007. Following the
declaration [2], Pakistani authorities arrested hundreds, mostly judges,
lawyers, and human rights activists. Musharraf has imposed sweeping
censorship rules on the media. All private television channels and
international media have been taken off the air.
On November 4, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz suggested that national
elections scheduled for January 2008 may be postponed.
"On the pretext of fighting militants, General Musharraf has mounted a
coup against Pakistan's civil society," said Brad Adams, Asia director at
Human Rights Watch. "Musharraf says the country needs emergency laws to
fight fundamentalists, yet the crackdown is focused on the judiciary,
lawyers, media and human rights activists. It's clear this is aimed solely
at keeping himself in power."
On the evening of November 3, a seven-member bench of the Supreme Court
headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry convened to issue an
order barring the government from proclaiming emergency rule and urging
government functionaries not to implement emergency orders. These judges
were forcibly removed from the Supreme Court premises by military troops and
detained thereafter. Chaudhry, who has led efforts to establish an
independent judiciary and had survived an attempt by Musharraf earlier this
year to dismiss him, was summarily fired.
Only four of the Supreme Court's 17 judges have taken an oath of
allegiance to the Provisional Constitutional Order issued on November 3 by
Musharraf, which suspended the constitution and gave Musharraf almost total
power. At least 60 of 97 senior judges in Pakistan have also declined to
take an oath. Many have been placed under detention to prevent them from
resuming judicial duties.
"Musharraf has claimed he was building the rule of law, but in his
single-minded determination to cling to power he has eviscerated the
judiciary," said Adams. "He has exposed himself as nothing more than a petty
tyrant."
Human Rights Watch called for the release of all political activists
rounded up by the authorities. On November 4, Aziz said on Pakistan state
television that more than 500 people have been arrested. This includes
hundreds of lawyers across the country, including Aitzaz Ahsan, president of
the Supreme Court Bar Association, office bearers and presidents of
provincial bar associations, and virtually all leading lawyers associated
with the movement for judicial independence that began on March 9 with the
attempted ouster of Chaudhry as chief justice by Musharraf. While some
lawyers have been placed in police custody, Human Rights Watch has learned
that others, including Ali Ahmed Kurd, a senior lawyer from Balochistan,
have been handed over to the military's feared Inter Services Intelligence
(ISI) agency. The ISI has a well-documented history of using torture on its
political opponents.
The offices of the non-governmental Human Rights Commission of Pakistan in
the central city of Lahore were raided on November 4, and 60 of the
country's most prominent human rights activists were arrested as they
attended a meeting. Police had no written orders and are claiming the right
to detain those arrested for up to 90 days under the colonial-era
Maintenance of Public Order Act. The detainees are being held at the police
lock-up in Model Town (Block A), Lahore, and their families have not been
allowed access to them.
Asma Jahangir, chairperson of the human rights commission and a United
Nations Special Rapporteur, was served a 90-day detention order on the night
of November 3. She remains under house arrest after her house was officially
deemed a sub-jail.
Around 30 television news channels have gone off the air since November 3.
Cable television operators told Human Rights Watch they were asked by the
government to stop beaming all local and foreign news channels, except the
state-controlled Pakistan Television. Hours later, Musharraf introduced
curbs on the media through two decrees [3] amending earlier ordinances
barring the media from printing or broadcasting "anything which defames or
brings into ridicule the head of state, or members of the armed forces, or
executive, legislative or judicial organ of the state."
The print and electronic media have also been restrained from publishing
any material that is likely to "jeopardize or be prejudicial to the ideology
of Pakistan or the sovereignty, integrity or security of Pakistan, or any
material that is likely to incite violence or hatred or create inter-faith
disorder or be prejudicial to maintenance of law and order." Television
discussions on anything which is deemed to be "false or baseless" by the
regulatory authorities has also been banned.
Journalists have been repeatedly threatened and prevented from covering
events following suspension of the constitution, had their equipment
confiscated, and been warned that if they record footage of arrests or
police raids, they will face arrest and incarceration.
Human Rights Watch urged the United States, Musharraf's main patron, to
end its support for Pakistan's military government and to seek an urgent
return to the rule of law and elected governance in Pakistan. Human Rights
Watch welcomed the statement issued by the US embassy in Islamabad calling
for the release of those detained and an end to censorship, and the
statement from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that the US would review
its aid to Pakistan. "The United States has never put all of its chips on
Musharraf," she was quoted as saying. Musharraf ignored public calls by
senior US government officials not to impose a state of emergency.
"This is as big a test for the Bush administration as it is for
Musharraf," said Adams. "Thus far, Washington's long support for a military
government has merely led to an unprecedented political crisis that could
lead Pakistan to disaster, not least in the effort to address international
terrorism."
_______
--
NOTICE: This post contains copyrighted material the use of which has not
always been authorized by the copyright owner. I am making such material
available to advance understanding of
political, human rights, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues. I
believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of such copyrighted material as
provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright
Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107
"A little patience and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their
spells dissolve, and the people recovering their true sight, restore their
government to its true principles. It is true that in the meantime we are
suffering deeply in spirit,
and incurring the horrors of a war and long oppressions of enormous public
debt. But if the game runs sometimes against us at home we must have
patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an opportunity of winning
back the principles we have lost, for this is a game where principles are at
stake."
-Thomas Jefferson
