From the US
Freedom Socialist Party
4710 University Way NE, Suite 100
Seattle, Washington 98105
Tel: 206-985-4621, Fax: 206-985-8965
fspnatl igc.org, www.socialism.com
October 4, 2007
General Pervez Musharraf.
President of Pakistan
Islamabad, Pakistan
General Musharraf:
The Freedom Socialist Party of the United States condemns your government’s systematic suppression and criminalization of dissent as evidenced by the unwarranted arrest and jailing on September 27 of 12 members and leaders of the Labor Party of Pakistan. They and other political activists have been victimized and their rights brutally violated by the police, acting on your behalf, because they dared to protest your attempts to hold onto power illegally.
It is not enough that LPP General Secretary Farooq Tariq and 11 other LPP supporters have been released on bail. We demand that the false charges against them of attacking police and violating the Anti-Terrorist Act be dropped immediately and that all other political prisoners be released. This includes freeing LPP supporter and former candidate Salahudin Gandapur, an advocate and member of the Sind Bar Association, and 11 social and trade union activists also arrested in Karachi during recent demonstrations against your regime.
This conduct of your government, including the violent police attacks on journalists in Islamabad and Peshawar, reaffirms our belief that U.S. citizens must exercise our free speech rights to demand that the U.S. withdraw all military, political and economic support to Pakistan until the brutal military dictatorship is completely dismantled.
Sincerely,
Fred Hyde
Freedom Socialist Party, U.S. Section
cc:
Lt. General Khalid Maqbool, Governor Punjab
Mr. Shaukat Aziz, Prime Minister of Pakistan
From Australia
Dear Comrades
In Australia we are campaigning through fax/email letters of protest
over the latest detention of Labour Party Pakistan general secretary
Farooq Tariq and 10 other members of the LPP to the Pakistan High
Commission in Australia.
It is an outrage that Comrade Farooq Tariq and 10 other LPP members
were arrested along with him after participating in a lawyers’protest
rally against General Musharraf’s bid for a second presidential term
on Thursday September 27, 2007 outside Lahore High Court. It is an
even greater outrage that these comrades have now been charged under
the Terrorist Act!
Farooq Tariq had been invited as a keynote guest speaker to the Latin
America-Asia Pacific International Solidarity Forum to be held in
Melbourne on October 11-14, 2007. See <http://solidarityforum2007.org/>
There will be guest speakers from all over the world at that
conference and they will undoubtedly be adding their voices of protest
at the detention of Farooq Tariq.
Regards
Peter Boyle
National Secretary
Democratic Socialist Perspective (DSP)
Australia
* * *
Copy of open letter to President Musharraf:
President Pervez Musharraf
c/- Pakistan High Commission to Australia
PO Box 684, Mawson ACT 2607
parepcanberra internode.on.net
Fax: 61-2-62901073
cc Minister of Interior
minister interior.gov.pk
Dear President Pervez Musharraf
I write on behalf of the Democratic Socialist Perspective in Australia
to strongly condemn the latest arrest and detention of Labour Party
Pakistan General Secretary Farooq Tariq on Thursday September 27, 2007
outside Lahore High Court, and to demand his immediate release and the
release of the 10 other members of his party who were arrested along
with him.
Farooq Tariq has been a prominent leader of the ongoing campaign for
democracy in Pakistan and this is the third time in last three months
that he has been detained.
Farooq Tariq had been invited as a keynote guest speaker to the Latin
America-Asia Pacific International Solidarity Forum to be held in
Melbourne on October 11-14, 2007. There will be prominent guests from
all over the world at that conference and they will undoubtedly be
adding their voices of protest at the detention of Farooq Tariq.
Yours sincerely
Peter Boyle
National Secretary Democratic Socialist Perspective
23 Abercrombie Street
Chippendale
NSW 2008
Australia
From Bangladesh
We strongly condemned the sudden and further arrested of Faroq Tariq, General Secretary of Labor Party of Pakistan including his other 10 colleagues from the peaceful rally. It is surprising that the case has been registered against Mr. Faroq under Terrorist Act. We have the full-fledged solidarity and oneness to their demands for democracy. We demand for him and his other colleagues’ immediate and unconditional release.
Badrul Alam
Convener
Communist Party of Bangladesh(ML)
Coalition of 8-Left Organizations
Bangladesh Krishok Federation
From Sri Lanka
The Left Front /Sama Samaja Party condemn the arrest of Labour Party of Pakistan gen sec and others. This shows clearly that the struggle of workers is most frightening for ruling junta. We demand the immediate release of comrade Farooq and press the Pakistan government to release all political prisoners.
We salute the struggle of the Pakistan people against brutal dictatorship backed by the global capital.
Dr Vickrama bahu
president Left Front
*****
Dhaka 29.09.07
Dear Comrades of LPP,
We do seriously condemn and protest the arrest of Comrade Nisar Shah and Comrade Farooq Tariq leaders of LPP along with 10 other Comrades by the autocratic regime of Pakistan.
We demand their immediate release .
We will raise and send our protest to the concern authorities of Pakistan.
In solidarity with
Saiful Huq
General Secretary
Worker’s Party of Bangladesh
**
Dhaka 26.09.07 (after the first attempt of arrest by police this septembre)
Dear Comrade Farooq Tariq,
We are anxious about your political situation and the mass arrest of political leaders and activists from the opposition camp. Please take care yourself and comrades.
Please inform me the latest situation.
With best wishes to you and friends.
In solidarity with
Saiful Huq
General Secretary
Worker’s Party of Bangladesh
From Pakistan
Sindh Democratic Forum (SDF)
Dear All
The entire team of Sindh Democratic Forum (SDF) condenms the arrest of Farooq Tariq and ten other comrades. This is a highly shameful act by the dictatorial regime of Musharraf and his hangeron.
We demand immediate release
In solidarity
Abrar Kazi
M Ibrahim Joyo
AA Qureshi
Mushtaq Merani
Aslam Balouch
Dr nazir Shaikh
Syed S haider
Zulfiqar Halepoto and others
***
PRIME
Mr Ghanjera sahib
This was great injustuce on the part of government that he is arresting the political workers throughout from Pakistan. Why we are not the path of democaracy owing to such tacts . We are with MR FAROOQ TARIQ AND CONDEMEND SUCH tacts which are against rule of law.
Malik Iqbal HUssain
PRIME
National Office 12 Meel kabirwala Punjab Pakistan
Ph0652013937,0652012165
0652460188,0652460182
***
IEDF
We strongly condemn the illegal arrest of Mr. Farooq Tariq and demand to release immediately.
Irshad Mughal
IEDF
***
Achay Loog
The organisation of ’Achay Loog’ registered, strongly
condemns the arrest of Farooq Tariq and demand his
unconditional release.
***
Prime
With respect to the arrest of Farooq Tariq, this was great injustice on the part of officials. This is due to the fact that in Pakistan there is no rule of law.
Malik Iqbal
PRIME ORGANIZATION
October 3, 2007
Send your protest letters to:
1-General Pervez Musharraf
President of Pakistan
President House
Constitution House
Islamabad, Pakistan
Fax: +92 51 922 1422, 4768/ 920 1893 or 1835
Email: http://www.presidentofpakistan.gov.pk/WTPresidentMessage.aspx
2-Mr. Shaukat Aziz
Prime Minister of Pakistan
Prime Minister Secretariat
Constitution Avenue
Islamabad, Pakistan
Email: primeminister pak.gov.pk
3-Mr Pervez Elahi
Chief Minister Punjab
Chief Minister House
Lahore, Pakistan
Email: http://www.chpervaizelahi.com/writemsg.asp
4-Lt General Khalid Maqbool
Governor Punjab
Governor House
Lahore, Pakistan
Fax: +92 42 9200023
Email: governor.sectt punjab.gov.pk
from
Shahbaz Bajwa
Labour Education Foundation
Lahore