Zares za boljšo obveščenost o Lizbonski pogodbi
Jutri, v torek, 29. januarja, bo slovenski parlament ratificiral Lizbonsko pogodbo. Slovenija bo za Madžarsko tako druga država, ki bo ratificirala reformno pogodbo, ki so jo evropski voditelji podpisali 13. decembra 2007 v Lizboni. V Zares ocenjujemo, da je bilo doslej premalo naporov vloženih v obveščenost slovenske javnosti o vsebini, pomenu in vlogi te pomembne pogodbe.Lizbonska pogodba dopolnjuje že veljavni Pogodbo o Evropski uniji (t. im. Maastrichtsko pogodbo) in Pogodbo o ustanovitvi Evropske skupnosti. Po predvidevanjih bo uveljavljena leta 2009, pred tem jo morajo ratificirati vse države članice (Irska bo o njej odločala na referendumu). Že februarja letos pa jo bo ratificiral tudi Evropski parlament.
V nadaljevanju objavljamo krajši uvodnik podpredsednice Zares Felicite Medved o ključnih korakih priprave in sprejemanja Lizbonske pogodbe ter slovenski prevod besedila Andrewa Duffa, poslanca v Evropskem parlamentu (člana Skupine zavezništva liberalcev in demokratov za Evropo –ALDE – iz Združenega kraljestva) z naslovom Pravi vodnik po Lizbonski pogodbi. To je Zaresov prispevek k boljši obveščenosti javnosti o Lizbonski pogodbi in k zavedanju, da smo tudi evropski državljanke in državljani, da je Evropska unija tudi naša »druga« domovina.
Webmaster, manjka druga priponka.
Čestitam, zares ste smešni: http://www.hervardi.com/referendum2008.php
Pomota, priponka je tu. In zelo zanimiva tudi. Meni je najbolj všeč “pozornost”, da je po novem državi dovoljeno iz EU tudi iztopiti. Spomnim se, kako so me ob odcepitvi Slovenije iz Juge zbadali v smislu “lahko vam se je otcjepiti od braće, a Evropa će vam pokazati vašeg boga”. No, pa ne bo tako hudo after all.
Ljubljanska pogodba v 5 stavkih
1. združitev – odločitev vseh
2. izključitev – odločitev vseh ostalih
3. izstop – odločitev izstopajočega
4. odločanje – večinsko na osnovi teže dividende posamezne države v dividendi Evrope.
5. dvojni državljan lastnik dveh delnic.
Danes je bila široka razprava o Lizbonski pogodbi in podpisu, oz. ratifikacije.
Koliko sem čula bi sklepala, da je zdaj tako, kot da jo moramo kar pod obvezno sprejeti k nam. In res, mi, državljani o tem nič ne vemo.
Nikjer nič ne piše in razen strokovnih izrazov oz. bolj JA ali ne, ne slišim skoraj nič podrobnosti o vsebini. Kako naj potem presodim ali je dobro, ali naj počakamo ali sploh recimo da naši politiki ne podpišejo?
Za prispodobo bi bila dobra tale: politik kot advokat naroda, ki podpisuje in hodi okoli, narod pa nič ne ve, sploh za kaj se gre, kaj šele ali dela v dobro ali v slabo njega, mislim naroda.
In potem se par politikov kot nekakih advokatov med seboj prereka ali ja ali ne in vsak tera svoje, narod pa pojma nima. In zakaj bi ga moglo imeti?
Saj kadar se gre za višji interes zgolj višjih položajev odločajo kar lepo sami…
In referendum?
Da če bi bil (pa menda ne bo) tako kot zadnjič za delnice, ko smo od vlade kar po njihovi obrazlagi dobili domov in še celo kaj naj obkrožimo in zakaj in kam bo potem denar šel. No, izkazalo se je, da narod le ni tako “butast, neveden in naiven” in pokazal je svojo pamet, na katero niso pomisli niti nekateri od politikov, da jo sploh imamo…
Pozdrav Irena
His Excellency
The President of the European Parliament,
Brussels.
His Excellency
The President of France ,
Paris.
His Excellency
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom ,
London.
Her Excellency
Ms. Condaleeza Rice,
Secretary of State,
United States of America,
Washington D.C.
Professor Klaus Schwab,
World Economic Forum,
Geneva.
All through their respective Ambassodors, High Commissioners and
representatives.
Excellency,
I am the Chief Justice of Pakistan presently detained in my residence
since November 3, 2007 pursuant to some verbal, and unspecified, order
passed by General Musharraf.
I have found it necessary to write to you, and others, because during
his recent visits to Brussels , Paris , Davos and London General
Musharraf has slandered me, and my colleagues, with impunity in press
conferences and other addresses and meetings. In addition he has
widely
distributed, among those whom he has met, a slanderous document
(hereinafter
the Document) entitled: “PROFILE OF THE FORMER CHIEF JUSTICE OF
PAKISTAN”. I might have let this go unresponded but the Document,
unfortunately, is such an outrage that, with respect, it is surprising
that a
person claiming to be head of state should fall to such depths as to
circulate such calumny against the Chief Justice of his own country.
In view of these circumstances I have no option but to join issue
with General Musharraf and to put the record straight. Since he has
voiced
his views on several public occasions so as to reach out to the public
at large, I also am constrained to address your excellencies in an
Open Letter to rebut the allegations against me.
At the outset you may be wondering why I have used the words
“claiming to be the head of state”. That is quite deliberate.
General
Musharraf’s constitutional term ended on November 15, 2007 . His
claim to
a further term thereafter is the subject of active controversy before
the Supreme Court of Pakistan. It was while this claim was under
adjudication before a Bench of eleven learned judges of the Supreme
Court that
the General arrested a majority of those judges in addition to me on
November 3, 2007 . He thus himself subverted the judicial process
which
remains frozen at that point. Besides arresting the Chief Justice and
judges (can there have been a greater outrage?) he also purported to
suspend the Constitution and to purge the entire judiciary (even the
High
Courts) of all independent judges. Now only his hand-picked and
compliant judges remain willing to “validate” whatever he demands.
And all
this is also contrary to an express and earlier order passed by the
Supreme Court on November 3, 2007 .
Meantime I and my colleagues remain in illegal detention. With me are
also detained my wife and three of my young children, all school-going
and one a special child. Such are the conditions of our detention that
we cannot even step out on to the lawn for the winter sun because
that space is occupied by police pickets. Barbed wire barricades
surround
the residence and all phone lines are cut. Even the water connection
to
my residence has been periodically turned off. I am being persuaded to
resign and to forego my office, which is what I am not prepared to do.
I request you to seek first hand information of the barricades and of
my detention, as that of my children, from your Ambassador/High
Commissioner/representative in Pakistan . You will get a report of
such
circumstances as have never prevailed even in medieval times. And
these are
conditions put in place, in the twenty-first century, by a Government
that you support.
Needless to say that the Constitution of Pakistan contains no
provision for its suspension, and certainly not by the Chief of Army
Staff.
Nor can it be amended except in accordance with Articles 238 and 239
which is by Parliament and not an executive or military order. As such
all
actions taken by General Musharraf on and after November 3 are illegal
and ultra vires the Constitution. That is why it is no illusion when I
describe myself as the Chief Justice even though I am physically and
forcibly incapacitated by the state apparatus under the command of the
General. I am confident that as a consequence of the brave and
unrelenting struggle continued by the lawyers and the civil society,
the
Constitution will prevail.
However, in the meantime, General Musharraf has launched upon a
vigourous initiative to defame and slander me. Failing to obtain my
willing
abdication he has become desperate. The eight-page Document is the
latest in this feverish drive.
Before I take up the Document itself let me recall that the General
first ousted me from the Supreme Court on March 9 last year while
filing
an indictment (in the form of a Reference under Article 209 of the
Constitution) against me. According to the General the Reference had
been
prepared after a thorough investigation and comprehensively contained
all the charges against me. I had challenged that Reference and my
ouster before the Supreme Court. On July 20 a thirteen member Bench
unanimously struck down the action of the General as illegal and
unconstitutional. I was honourably reinstated.
The Reference was thus wholly shattered and all the charges contained
therein trashed. These cannot now be regurgitated except in contempt
of the Supreme Court. Any way, since the Document has been circulated
by
no less a person than him I am constrained to submit the following for
your kind consideration in rebuttal thereof:
The Document is divided into several heads but the allegations
contained in it can essentially be divided into two categories: those
allegations that were contained in the Reference and those that were
not.
Quite obviously, those that are a repeat from the Reference hold no
water as these have already been held by the Supreme Court to not be
worth the ink they were written in. In fact, the Supreme Court found
that
the evidence submitted against me by the Government was so obviously
fabricated and incorrect, that the bench took the unprecedented step
of
fining the Government Rs. 100,000 (a relatively small amount in dollar
terms, but an unheard of sum with respect to Court Sanction in
Pakistan)
for filing clearly false and malicious documents, as well as revoking
the license to practice of the Advocate on Record for filing false
documents. Indeed, faced with the prospect of having filed clearly
falsified documents against me, the Government’s attorneys,
including the
Attorney General, took a most dishonorable but telling approach. Each
one,
in turn, stood before the Supreme Court and disowned the
Government’s Reference, and stated they had not reviewed the
evidence against me
before filing it with Court. They then filed a formal request to the
Court to withdraw the purported evidence, and tendered an
unconditional
apology for filing such a scandalous and false documents. So baseless
and egregious were the claims made by General Musharraf that on July
20th, 2007, the full Supreme Court for the first time in Pakistan ’s
history, ruled unanimously against a sitting military ruler and
reinstated
me honorably to my post.
Despite having faced these charges in open court, must I now be
slandered with those same charges by General Musharraf in world
capitals,
while I remain a prisoner and unable to speak in my defense?
There are, of course, a second set of charges. These were not
contained in the Reference and are now being bandied around by the
General at
every opportunity.
I forcefully and vigorously deny every single one of them. The truth
of these “new” allegations can be judged from the fact that they
all ostensibly date to the period before the reference was filed
against
me last March, yet none of them was listed in the already bogus charge
sheet.
If there were any truth to these manufactured charges, the Government
should have included them in the reference against me. God knows they
threw in everything including the kitchen sink into that scurrilous
450
page document, only to have it thrown out by the entire Supreme Court
after a 3 month open trial.
The charges against me are so transparently baseless that General
Musharraf’s regime has banned the discussion of my situation and the
charges in the broadcast media. This is because the ridiculous and
flimsy
nature of the charges is self-evident whenever an opportunity is
provided to actually refute them.
Instead, the General only likes to recite his libel list from a
rostrum or in gathering where there is no opportunity for anyone to
respond.
Incidentally, the General maligns me in the worst possible way at
every opportunity. That is the basis for the Document he has
distributed.
But he has not just deposed me from the Judiciary. He has also fired
more than half of the Superior Judiciary of Pakistan – nearly 50
judges
in all — together with me. They have also been arrested and detained.
What are the charges against them? Why should they be fired and
arrested if I am the corrupt judge? Moreover even my attorneys Aitzaz
Ahsan, Munir Malik, Tariq Mahmood and Ali Ahmed Kurd were also
arrested on
November 3. Malik alone has been released but only because both his
kidneys collapsed as a result of prison torture
Finally, as to the Document, it also contains some further
allegations described as “Post-Reference Conduct” that is
attributed to me
under various heads. This would mean only those allegedly
‘illegal’
actions claimed to have been taken by me after March 9, 2007 . These
are
under the heads given below and replied to as under:
“Participation in SJC (Supreme Judicial Council) Proceedings”:
(a) Retaining ‘political lawyers’: Aitzaz Ahsan and Zammurrad
Khan:
It is alleged that I gave a political colour to my defence by
engaging political lawyers Aitzaz Ahsan and Zamurrad Khan both
Pakistan
Peoples’ Party Members of the National Assembly. The answer is
simple.
I sought to engage the best legal team in the country. Mr. Ahsan is
of course an MNA (MP), but he is also the top lawyer in Pakistan . For
that reference may be made simply to the ranking of Chambers and
Partners Global. Such is his respect in Pakistan ’s legal landscape
that he
was elected President of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan
by one of the widest margins in the Association’s history.
All high profile personalities have placed their trust in his
talents. He has thus been the attorney for Prime Ministers Bhutto and
Sharif,
(even though he was an opponent of the latter) Presidential candidate
(against Musharraf) Justice Wajihuddin, sports star and politician
Imran
Khan, former Speakers, Ministers, Governors, victims of political
vendetta, and also the internationally acclaimed gang-rape victim
Mukhtar
Mai, to mention only a few.
Equally important, Barrister Ahsan is a man of integrity who is known
to withstand all pressures and enticements. That is a crucial factor
in enaging an attorney when one’s prosecutor is the sitting military
ruler, with enourmous monetary and coercive resources at his disposal.
Mr. Zamurrad Khan is also a recognized professional lawyer, a former
Secretary of the District Bar Rawalpindi, and was retained by Mr.
Aitzaz Ahsan to assist him in the case. Mr. Khan has been a leading
light of
the Lawyers’ Movement for the restoration of the deposed judiciary
and has bravely faced all threats and vilification.
Finally, surely I am entitled to my choice of lawyers and not that of
the General.
(b) “Riding in Mr. Zafarullah Jamali (former Prime Minister)’s
car”:
How much the Document tries to deceive is apparent from the
allegation that I willingly rode in Mr. Jamali’s car for the first
hearing of
the case against me on March 13 (as if that alone is an offence).
Actually the Government should have been ashamed of itself for
creating the
circumstances that forced me to take that ride.
Having been stripped of official transport on the 9th March (my
vehicles were removed from my house by the use of fork lifters), I
decided
to walk the one-mile to the Supreme Court. Along the way I was
molested
and manhandled, my hair was pulled and neck craned in the full blaze
of
the media, by a posse of policemen under the supervision of the
Inspector General of Police. (A judicial inquiry, while I was still
deposed,
established this fact). In order to escape the physical assault I took
refuge with Mr. Jamali and went the rest of the journey on his car.
Instead of taking action against the police officials for manhandling
the
Chief Justice it is complained that I was on the wrong!
(c) “Creating a political atmosphere”:
Never did I instigate or invite any “political atmosphere”. I
never addressed the press or any political rally. I kept my lips
sealed
even under extreme provocation from the General and his ministers who
were reviling me on a daily basis. I maintained a strict judicial
silence.
I petitioned the Supreme Court and won. That was my vindication.
“Country wide touring and Politicising the Issue”:
The Constitution guarantees to all citizens free movement throughout
Pakistan . How can this then be a complaint?
By orders dated March 9 and 15 (both of which were found to be
without lawful authority by the Court) I had been sent of “forced
leave”.
I could neither perform any judicial or administrative functions as
the Chief Justice of Pakistan. I was prevented not only from sitting
in
court but also from access to my own chamber by the force of arms
under
orders of the General. (All my papers were removed, even private
documents).
The only function as ‘a judge on forced leave’ that I could
perform was to address and deliver lectures to various Bar
Associations. I
accepted their invitations. They are peppered all over Pakistan . I
had
to drive to these towns as all these are not linked by air. On the way
the people of Pakistan did, indeed, turn out in their millions, often
waiting from dawn to dusk or from dusk to dawn, to greet me. But I
never addressed them even when they insisted that I do. I never spoke
to
the press. I sat quietly in my vehicle without uttering a word. All
this
is on the record as most journeys were covered by the media live and
throughout.
I spoke only to deliver lectures on professional and constitutional
issues to the Bar Associations. Transcripts of every single one of my
addresses are available. Every single word uttered by me in those
addresses conforms to the stature, conduct and non-political nature of
the
office of the Chief Justice. There was no politics in these
whatsoever. I
did not even mention my present status or the controversy or the
proceedings before the Council or the Court, not even the Reference.
Not even
once.
All the persons named in the Document under this head are lawyers and
were members of the reception committees in various towns and Bar
Associations.
Political Leaders Calling on CJP residence:
It is alleged that I received political leaders while I was deposed.
It is on the record of the Supreme Judicial Council itself that I was
detained after being deposed on March 9. The only persons allowed to
meet me were those cleared by the Government. One was a senior
political
leader. None else was allowed to see me, initially not even my
lawyers.
How can I be blamed for whomsoever comes to my residence?
Had I wanted to politicize the issue I would have gone to the Press
or invited the media. I did not. I had recourse to the judicial
process
for my reinstatement and won. The General lost miserably in a fair and
straight contest. That is my only fault.
“Conclusion”:
Hence the conclusion drawn by the General that charges had been
proved against me ‘beyond doubt’ is absolutely contrary to the
facts and
wide off the mark. It is a self-serving justification of the eminently
illegal action of firing and arresting judges of superior courts under
the garb of an Emergency (read Martial Law) when the Constitution was
‘suspended’ and then ‘restored’ later with drastic and illegal
‘amendments’ grafted into it.
The Constitution cannot be amended except by the two Houses of
Parliament and by a two-thirds majority in each House. That is the
letter of
the law. How can one man presume or arrogate to himself that power?
Unfortunately the General is grievously economical with the truth (I
refrain from using the word ‘lies’) when he says that the charges
against me were ‘investigated and verified beyond doubt’. As
explained above, these had in fact been rubbished by the Full Court
Bench of
the Supreme Court of Pakistan against which judgment the government
filed no application for review.
What the General has done has serious implications for Pakistan and
the world. In squashing the judiciary for his own personal advantage
and
nothing else he has usurped the space of civil and civilized society.
If civilized norms of justice will not be allowed to operate then that
space will, inevitably, be occupied by those who believe in more
brutal
and instant justice: the extremists in the wings. Those are the very
elements the world seems to be pitted against. Those are the very
elements the actions of the General are making way for.
Some western governments are emphasizing the unfolding of the
democratic process in Pakistan . That is welcome, if it will be fair.
But, and
in any case, can there be democracy if there is no independent
judiciary?
Remember, independent judges and judicial processes preceded full
franchise by several hundred years. Moreover, which judge in Pakistan
today can be independent who has before his eyes the fate and example
of
his own Chief Justice: detained for three months along with his young
children. What is the children’s crime, after all?
There can be no democracy without an independent judiciary, and there
can be no independent judge in Pakistan until the action of November 3
is reversed. Whatever the will of some desperate men the struggle of
the valiant lawyers and civil society of Pakistan will bear fruit.
They
are not giving up.
Let me also assure you that I would not have written this letter
without the General’s unbecoming onslaught. That has compelled me to
clarify although, as my past will testify, I am not given into
entering
into public, even private, disputes. But the allegations against me
have
been so wild, so wrong and so contrary to judicial record, that I have
been left with no option but to put the record straight. After all, a
prisoner must also have his say. And if the General’s hand-picked
judges, some living next door to my prison home, have not had the
courage to
invoke the power of ‘habeas corpus’ these last three months, what
other option do I have? Many leaders of the world and the media may
choose to brush the situation under the carpet out of love of the
General.
But that will not be.
Nevertheless, let me also reassure you that I continue in my resolve
not to preside any Bench which will be seized of matters pertaining to
the personal interests of General Musharraf after the restoration of
the Constitution and the judges, which, God willing, will be soon.
Finally, I leave you with the question: Is there a precedent in
history, all history, of 60 judges, including three Chief Justices (of
the
Supreme Court and two of Pakistan ’s four High Courts), being
dismissed, arrested and detained at the whim of one man? I have failed
to
discover any such even in medieval times under any emperor, king, or
sultan,
or even when a dictator has had full military sway over any country in
more recent times. But this incredible outrage has happened in the
21st century at the hands of an extremist General out on a ‘charm
offensive’ of western capitals and one whom the west supports.
I am grateful for your attention. I have no other purpose than to
clear my name and to save the country (and perhaps others as well)
from
the calamity that stares us in the face. We can still rescue it from
all
kinds of extremism: praetorian and dogmatic. After all, the edifice of
an independent judicial system alone stands on the middle ground
between these two extremes. If the edifice is destroyed by the one,
the
ground may be taken over by the other. That is what is happening in
Pakistan . Practitioners of rough and brutal justice will be welcomed
in
spaces from where the practitioners of more refined norms of justice
and
balance have been made to abdicate.
I have enormous faith that the Constitution and justice will soon
prevail.
Yours truly,
Iftikhar Mohammad Choudhry,
Chief Justice of Pakistan ,
Presently:
imprisoned in the Chief Justice’s House,
Islamabad ( Pakistan)
April 23, 2009
Government of Pakistan is still supporting
the Taliban and other Islamist forces
Press Release:
Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri Chairman United Kashmir People’s National Party has addressed a press conference in Geneva Press Club on ongoing and emerging situation in Pakistan Federally Administered tribal areas which are adjacent to Afghanistan. Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri comprehensively elaborated on all aspects on the situation, the role of state security establishment, Military and its secret agencies and also replied to the questions raised by the journalists and audiences. Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri said;
Geneva holds a special significance on many accounts but Geneva Press club contribution has been pivotal in giving voice to the voiceless people, marginalized regions, underdeveloped cultures, and underrepresented nations.
The role of the UN Human Rights Council is to evolve the mechanism to stop the human rights violations and persuade the state to respect and improve the human rights record including democracy, development and human dignity set by the world community. But it is the, you media people who are catalyst in educating the people and spreading the message of human rights and protecting them. Without Media this challenge can’t be accomplished.
As people from Kashmir, our concerns, demands, views are not different than rest of the world community. We have seized this opportunity to share with your our concerns and grievances of the people from that region, and what we experience under the tyrannical rule of Pakistan military regimes over the last six decades.
I am referring to the terrorism, extremism and fundamentalism emanating from Pakistan and posing serious threat to the regional and global order. We have been expressing our serious concerns at UN Human rights forum, briefings, conferences, in the European Parliament that military in Pakistan is using extremists and fundamentalists as a foreign policy tool. Unless the Pakistan military is stopped from nurturing, breeding and infiltrating extremists across the borders, attempts to build peace whether in Afghanistan or with India is not possible.
However, world community paid little attention to our concerns and was busy in appeasing Pakistan military regime by filling their coffers so that they may genuinely extend cooperation to root-out terrorism. But now after seven years of war against terrorism and pouring billions of dollars realized that they couldn’t persuade military and ISI in Pakistan to change their course. After seven years of efforts, Taliban are taking over Pakistan bit by bit which is the vision and mechanism of Pakistan military and ISI to ensure if safe heavens of Taliban are not disturbed by the newly elected ANP government in NWFP-which subscribes secular views and may not at ease with military agenda. Terrorism remains the serious threat to the South Asian region where terrorist infrastructure is intact and their infiltration is ongoing process. Pakistan has become dangerous place in the world and its policies of using extremist resulting into serious chaos and crisis throughout region.
Replying to a question Party chairman said that, In Pakistan military establishment strongly believes that stable Afghanistan means unstable Pakistan, and unstable Afghanistan means stable Pakistan. Pakistan military is embarked upon the same policy, notion to destabilize Afghanistan. The Pakistan ISI and military has had very ambitious agenda about the expanding its sphere of influence and regional ascendancy through its proxy extremists, and has seriously been involved over the decades to recreating Islamic identity of Pakistan as opposed to the South Asian identity.
The extremists and terrorists that are viewed by West and others as threat to regional security and stability but are deemed as strategic ally and asset by military and intelligence agencies of Pakistan. This perceptional gap that persist between both West and Pakistan military can’t be filled with pouring money and opening up wallets. This strategy of persuading through pouring money and aid has further convinced them that their strategy of extremism is paying rewards and they continue to use to reap further economic and political concessions from the West and India. This strategy need to be revisited and reevaluated with changed mechanism accompanied by the accountability, transparency, progress, conditionality otherwise there are genuine risk of money may be passed on to these groups or against India as previous record support such views. In the past and recent agreements with Taliban they have compensated Taliban by paying huge amounts and releasing those terrorists and providing ample time to regroups and reorganize that idea mustn’t be encouraged by Western governments.
The policy of proliferation of extremism and nuclear are two prong approach of Pakistan military to blackmail west which is unchanged yet. The release of A.Q.Khan, Lal Mosque Imam is step towards encouraging hawkish forces and putting pressure on the West.
We would seek your support and cooperation to advance the cause of peace, human freedom, dignity, development and democracy, a dream which is being taken away from our people, region, and race by unleashing forces of obscurantism, extremism and terrorism by the Pakistan military and intelligence agency.
Describing the situation billions of people are facing in Volatile region Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri emphasized and said that our people have yet to reach to the stage of realizing humanism, liberalism and free vales when forces of darkness and extremism would cease to exist. This is the duty of free media, free nations and people living in the West to come forward to resist these forces and force and expose those governments and its network involved in dehumanizing the societies and degrading the human dignity through these forces. South Asia is experiencing worst kind of brutalism, barbarianism and terrorism in the disguise of freedom, historical fault lines, aspirations; successive Pakistani regimes have been advancing to protect their act of infiltrating extremists and terrorists across the border. But after decades world and U S now recognize that Kashmir conflict is being used as tool to protect the acts of terrorism Pakistan based extremists groups are involved in Kashmir and India. How Taliban government has abused the women in Afghanistan, and recently in Pakistan Swat where a women was publically flogged by the same elements of Pakistan. World must take serious notice of these developments which are challenging the very basis of our society, culture, human values that exist for centuries.
Highlighting the plight and miserable socio-economic and socio-political conditions of the of so called Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan under Pakistan control Mr. Kashmiri told the journalists that these areas have become launching pad of extremists and militants against the democratic voices of the Indian administered Kashmir. Our culture is being transformed by radicalizing through preaching Jihad against India while killing its Baloch leaders who seek control on their resources and demand their legitimate socio-economic and political rights denied for six decades.
Replying to a question on terrorists training camps and infrastructure of Jihadis that continues to exist, and militants are infiltrated in Kashmir to undermine the peace process and CBMs which had begun after decades of proxy militancy and hostility. The brutal murder of Deputy Speaker of Northern Areas Legislative Council just two days ago by the same forces and ISI is aimed at to engineer communal riots to create political climate where they could seek the justification for military rule once again. The killing of Deputy Speaker is not the first incident in Gilgit Baltistan but is long list of such killings have been carried out against the majority Shia population which is deemed to be unfriendly and obstacle in the speared of extremism there. Our region and population is victim of Pakistan ISI’s ambitious agenda of using extremist as proxy army against India to capture Kashmir.
Our region suffers from poverty, illiteracy, backwardness, high child mortality rate, underdevelopment, unemployment, malnourishment, and lack of health and education facilities, in Pakistan. The Pakistan controlled Areas continue to be used against Indian administered Kashmir as militants base camps that seriously affected development and safety of the local population. The Mumbai terrorist attack was clear conspiracy against the ongoing peace process to which new civilian Pakistan government was eager to push forward. But ISI and military used it to sabotage the burgeoning India- Pakistan relations, like Musharraf had done Kargil misadventure to thwart Lahore Declaration that then PM Nawaz Sharif and Mr. Vajpayee had signed.
Our above submissions to you Journalist friends to examine judge and may merit your attention to rescue our people and region from the forces and conspiracy of Pakistan ISI to destroy our identity and culture in the name of Islam and freedom. Pakistan is at the crossroad of disintegration which poses serious threats to the region where military brasses showing no qualm over this challenging situation South Asian region is facing. World community must put proper mechanism in place to meet these challenges and possible fall-out of unraveling Pakistan.
It was the consequences of those policies that after Soviets withdraw from Afghanistan, Pakistan had manipulated entire Afghan politics and economic affairs by installing their liking Taliban regime. During Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan the training camps and terrorist network was expanded to other parts of the country in Pakistan and Pakistani Administered Kashmir. The secret agencies of Pakistan transferred their religious terrorist groups into Pakistani Administered Kashmir and started their activities from that region. Lashker e Tayyaba and many others have been carrying out destructive activities against political leadership of Jammu Kashmir from Pakistani Administered Kashmir.
They have been claiming the responsibilities of bomb attacks, and assassination of secular, progressive and democratic leadership of Jammu Kashmir from Muzaffarabad and from Muridkey a small town near Lahore Pakistan Punjab province. It is also matter of fact that Pakistani Military and secret agencies have been using two regions of former princely state of Jammu Kashmir under their illegal administration as launching pad, and to hide terrorists from the eyes of world community.
We have heralded world community to stop Pakistan of using religion as weapon and foreign policy tool, but unfortunately the world community didn’t opened its eyes and continued support Pakistani military and undemocratic forces in the country. Before proposing some suggestions I would like to explain the situation of the more marginalized people of Gilgit Baltistan, who are victimized since 1949, the people in this region have not any representation in constitutional forum and due to constitutional restraints they have not constitutional, political and socio-economic rights.
Calling upon world community, civil society and human rights defenders Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri further told the audiences that the natural resources of this region have been badly plundered since this area was illegally occupied by Pakistan in 1949, about two million people are deprived and living under fear and harassment created by Pakistani secret agencies in the area. Despite the fact that this region has given an opportunity to Pakistan to trade with its neighboring countries the state institutions have divided the people on communal lines and religious harmony was badly damaged in the region. We have serious concern that Government of Pakistan is leasing the land of this region to P-R-China which is contrary to the status of this region and Pakistan promises with the world community. The political and civil society actors in the region are facing extreme pressure and they are often tortured and arrested by the security agencies of Pakistan just because they demand human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Mr.Kashmiri said that Pakistan’s national institutions have long history, today we are facing religious hatred and extremism and day by day extremist forces are expanding their constituency while the constituency of peace, stability, economic growth, and human rights is shrinking. Pakistani army has surrendered or pushing their agenda but one thing is very clear that 7 hundred thousand military is not ready to fight against these assets who always used against Pakistan’s democratic forces by the undemocratic force of Pakistan.
He explains that before all these regions motivated forces and militants’ religious organization have very close links with army and ISI. He said that when where Pakistani army want to fight, they have instrument to see the person who escape and trying to save his life in a cave but army dig out him and later killed him but in Swat valley Sufi Mohammed and his fighters are capturing the area and even they have implemented Sharia in their occupied area and civilian government is forced to sign agreement with them. Now they are moving towards Islamabad and issued fatwa that existing modern judicial system in Pakistan is unilamic and we will change it by force. We know and everybody knows that without army’s support they can’t move or captured any area or land, just one year before from whole Swat valley gave the mandate to the ANP which is a secular party and believe in non violent path of struggle. In one year how we can think that Sufi Mohammed is getting support from public and public took gun against those who were just elected by them.
It is our duty to expose these policies and strategy of undemocratic force and defend the civilian rule. Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri appreciated the statement of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and extent his full support. He further said that whole region is suffering due to illegal activities of secret agencies of Pakistan. Mr. Kashmiri loudly asked that these groups are stooges and proxies of ISI and ISI wanted to create more influence and capture more land through these proxies, otherwise Mullah Umer or Sufi Mohammad is nothing except new Mullah Aziz of Lal Masjid. United States and other countries should take confidence on those who know the real designs of these extremists.
At the end of press conference Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri Chairman United Kashmir People’s National Party has extended some pragmatic suggestions for the regional democratic, secular forces as well as for the world community to think upon them seriously.
I would like to persuade European Politicians to take up following points before the Pakistani Government to guarantee and empower the local people in Pakistani Administered Kashmir and in Gilgit Baltistan.
1. A fact finding mission should be established to oversee social- economical, constitutional cultural, educational, developmental situation in both regions of Pakistani Administered Kashmir (So called Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan).
2. The huge money was given to rebuilt 2005, earthquake, is misused and after three years have gone nothing done in this regard and thousands of people are looking for help and compelled to live in the temporary shelters. The European Union which has given millions of Euros to rehabilitate and develop infrastructure in the region, is gone into the pockets of the ERRA (Earthquake Relief and Rehabilitation Authority), headed by a military General. We fear that, money is used to strengthen terrorist organizations in the region. While the effected people were left like unattended orphans.
3. We have serious concerns over the judicial crisis of Pakistan. We recommend that in order to establish and strengthen democracy, rule of law and independent judiciary is inevitable and that the liking and disliking in state institutions must be discouraged by the world community. The local authorities at Muzaffarabad has always adopted the same fashion of political culture in Pakistani Administered Kashmir and have appointed a Chief Justice of supreme court and the most senior Judge of Supreme Court, Justice Manzoor Gilani is superseded by a Junior Judge and appointed as Chief justice. In AJK High Court Justice Sardar Nawaz Khan Working as Adhoc Chief Justice since last three years but Government has not appointing him as permanent Chief Justice. Undemocratic forces don’t want independent judiciary, they always relay on subservient judiciary so Pakistani government should pressurized for independent Judiciary. The system of personal liking and disliking should abolished, system of merit; transparency and accountability should prevail in all state institutions.
4. The terrorist infrastructure is still intact and top wanted culprit of Mumbai attacks was arrested from Muzaffarabad. Despite ban imposed on such terrorist organizations, they have got the blessings of Pakistani state institutions and security establishment. Terrorist infrastructure must be in real term dismantle, not just in announcement in TV and news papers .Under these circumstances we can say that the former military Government of Pakistan and their continuation in present regime Pakistani state institutions have been befooling world community that religious armed groups have been disarmed and banned properly.
5. We strongly urge and request to the world community to ask Government of Pakistan to guarantee freedom of speech, assembly, freedom of thoughts and that all political parties should be allowed to take part in elections and democratic process.
6. That the constitutional restraints imposed on democratic and pro-people and pro-independence political parties of Pakistani Administered Kashmir must end now.
7. Pakistan and local authorities at Muzaffarabad should collect a data of educated
8. Unemployed youth in the region and a proper arrangement of their respectable livelihood are arranged.
9. We also request to the world community that Government of Pakistan must emphasize to establish industries in both regions, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan in order to overcome unemployment.
10. That the hatred literature must be banned throughout the country, and such literature should be banned from the schools as well.
11. It is also matter of fact that military is claiming that she is prepared to counter any escalation, but why she is unable to stop the broadcasting of illegal FM radio stations in Federally Administered Tribal Areas? In our views it is not possible without the blessings of the military and secret agencies so that they can get more funds from the western countries and United States in the name of war on terror.
We strongly urge world community to ask Pakistan to take serious steps against those who involved in killings of political leaders, civil society activists, and political activists in Gilgit Baltistan. That the construction of Basha dam in the region must be halted and plundering of natural resources must be stopped and these areas immediately handed over and reunited with rest of Jammu Kashmir.
Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri
Chairman,
United Kashmir People’s National Party