- Target:
- Pakistan
- Region:
- GLOBAL
Over several weeks, President Musharraf has been interfering with the judiciary. Over the last two weeks there has been protests across Pakistan, last weekend(12th May 2007) Musharraf and his political allies deliberately arranged counter rallies to stop the sacked Chief Justice from speaking to the lawyers in Karachi.
The Chief justice, together with some of the lawyers accompanying him to the meeting in Karachi were stopped at Karachi airport and held hostage as a result of the violence perpetrated by Musharraf's allies in Karachi. The chief justice and his party were forced to return to Islamabad without attending the meeting. As a result of the disturbances engineered b pro-Musharraf forces and government bodies in Karachi over forty people lost their lives over the weekend.
This is unacceptable. We among other democratic and civil organisations, including lawyers associations are demanding a restoration of democracy and non-interference by the military in civil and judiciary processes.
We condemn President Musharraf's unlawful and unconstitutional actions against the judiciary of Pakistan.
We condemn the actions of Musharraf's supporters, in particular the MQM on 12th May 2007, which effectively
ensured that the Chief Justice of Pakistan was held hostage at Karachi airport and unable to attend a meeting of the Lawyers in Karachi.
We condemn the killings of the opposition workers by
President Musharraf's supporters.
We condemn the armed attacks against media organizations by Musharraf's supporters.
We therefore demand:
Musharraf's immediate resignation as the President of
Pakistan.
The end of military interference in the judicial, civil and political process.
The return of the democratic processes and establishment of the sovereignty of the Parliament.
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The Restoration of Democracy and an Independent Judiciary petition to Pakistan was written by Naeem Malik and is in the category Human Rights at GoPetition.