Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Lahore (Agenzia Fides) - The situation in Pakistan is unbearable. The declaration of the state of emergency contradicted General Musharraf's declared “illuminated moderation” approach to governing the country. In a report sent to Fides the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission, of the Pakistan Bishops' Conference, stressed the need to restore democracy, respect for freedom and human rights. In an appeal on behalf of the people of Pakistan for an intervention by the international community, the Commission makes four precise requests:
“end state of emergency, restore rule of law established by the Constitution; unconditioned release of recently detained lawyers, politicians and human rights activists; announce scheduled early 2008 elections; lift censure and guarantee ample independence to media in Pakistan”.
The Commission said the state of emergency is simply “martial law” which with Musharraf has attacked the country's judiciary accusing it of interfering with the war on terrorism and with the country's economic growth causing the weakening of the government and moral decadence of the police.
The president has paralysed the national judiciary arresting the supreme court magistrate Iftikhar Chaudhry and enforcing military law. The Commission also condemned the media censure and the arrest of lawyers, human rights activists and civil society representatives including Asma Jahangir, president of Pakistan's Human Rights Commission, and UN special observer for religious freedom.
In Islamabad, procurator general Malik Mohammad Qayyum announced that the scheduled January 2008 elections will not be cancelled but only postponed to February and he added that the state of emergency will only last "a month or two".
In the meantime Opposition sources in various parts of the country say thousands of members of the Pakistan People's Party led by Benazir Bhutto, have been arrested by the police. The PPP has organised a protest demonstration against the state of emergency declared by Musharraf. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 8/11/2007 righe 28 parole 282)
