JOINT INDIA-PAKISTAN PEACE NETWORK (IPPN)
IS DEEPLY CONCERNED ON THE IMPOSITION OF EMERGENCY IN PAKISTAN
The Diaspora of India and Pakistan, in particular the citizens of Pakistan living in Canada, are deeply saddened and gravely concerned on the imposition of a state of emergency in Pakistan by General Pervez Musharraf.
We are also very concerned about the safety of journalists, political leaders, opposition leaders, lawyers & judges, peace and human rights activists, and common men & women who refused to accept this action taken by the government. Hundreds of such people have either been put in jails or house arrested for unspecified reasons. All activities of Media and Press have been banned and Public basic rights have been cut to the least.
IPPN and its associate NGOs have contributed tremendously to help promote peace and good relationship between the two neighboring nuclear powers India and Pakistan. It is a direct result of those tireless efforts of track-2 policy i.e. people-to-people contact that we see today a great deal of confidence building and socio-economic development between the two countries.
With the imposition of state of emergency and curbing the basic political and democratic rights of the people of Pakistan, we believe that not only Pakistan and people of Pakistan would suffer heavy losses and encourage further extremism but also the existing process of peace and confidence building between India and Pakistan would be badly affected.
We also feel that the current situation in Pakistan is a direct outcome of least thoughtful policies of General Musharraf and his government that has been in sole-rule for over eight years. The imposition of state of emergency would in no way improve the situation in Pakistan or help improve its relations with the neighboring countries; rather, it would be detrimental in all respects.
We, there, demand General Pervez Musharraf to remove state of emergency (which is practically a Martial Law) with immediate effect, reinstate judges and restore judicial system, release all those arrested unlawfully, restore freedom of media and hold fair & transparent general elections as soon as possible, and allow the new duly elected government to run the country and its affairs including so-called fight against terrorism.
We also ask the international community, supporters and friends of Pakistan to sincerely, openly and clearly demand and pursue on General Musharraf to remove state of emergency and one-man rule, restore Constitution of Pakistan and democratic process in Pakistan without any delay.
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Issued by:
(Captain) Muhammad S Mahtab
Vice Chair, Joint India-Pakistan Peace Network (IPPN)
Canada Chapter
Vancouver, BC. Canada
Tel: 604 526 0990 / 778 908 1250
