By Our Special Correspondent
LONDON, Nov 9: The recent happenings in Pakistan seem to have caused widespread concern and resentment among various sections of people here as a number of organisations, including those of lawyers, doctors and journalists as well as major political parties have come out with harshest condemnation of what is seen here as President General Pervez Musharraf’s brutal tactics to suppress his country’s democratic aspirations.
A number of Members of Parliament have sent in questions for Foreign Secretary David Miliband to answer at Monday’s sitting which concern about his efforts to persuade Musharraf to roll back the emergency rule and release all prisoners including judges, lawyers, civil society activists, media persons and political workers.
One questioner has especially asked the foreign secretary if he would intervene to get Asma Jehangir of HRCP released from her house arrest.
The International Bar Association headquartered in the UK, in the meanwhile, has called upon its member bars and law societies across the globe to support lawyers and judges of Pakistan.
A press release issued by the association said: “The effect of these orders (the PCO) is to provide complete immunity to President Musharraf and his government, thereby enabling them to change the constitution, and adopt any orders or laws they see fit to retain power.
“Lawyers and judges in Pakistan have recognised that the government has negated the rule of law. We are deeply concerned that such protests have been met with mass arrests and allegations of ill-treatment,” the press release added.
The Association of Pakistani Lawyers (APL) in the UK has also jointly condemned what it called the suspension of the operation of the Constitution by Chief of the Army Staff and his collaborating executive force in Pakistan, gagging order on electronic media and judges, lawyers and members of civil society.
In another related development a protest demonstration is being planned in front of Pakistan High Commission here on Sunday by Pakistani doctors in the UK along with a number of professional and intellectual bodies.
Making this announcement the doctors’ body in a press release called Nov 3 as the darkest day in Pakistan’s history.
The National Union of Journalist (NUJ) the premier trade body of UK journalists has also backed calls by journalists unions around the world for an end to the suppression of the media in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Hina Jilani of the HRCP speaking at a crowded press conference here on Thursday evening informed the media about the latest situation in her country.
She was speaking from the platform of the Campaign Against Martial Law (CAML), formed by a group of Pakistani students studying in the UK, lawyers and journalists of Pakistani origin working here.
Dawn 10/Nov/2007
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