We have just seen the reports that emergency has been imposed in Pakistan, a new Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) has been issued and security forces have entered the Supreme Court of Pakistan. It is also reported that curbs have been imposed on media and SCBA president Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan has been arrested.
We strongly condemn declaration of emergency and issuance of a new PCO. It is an illegal and unconstitutional decision and an attempt by a dismissed general to continue his illegal and unconstitutional rule. The action should be universally condemned and the generals in Pakistan should be forced to end their stranglehold on the country.
We pay our compliments to a larger bench of the Supreme Court that has taken up the issue and has declared the PCO and the imposition of emergency illegal and unconstitutional. According to the initial reports the Chief Justice Mr. Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry presided over the bench and it included among others Mr. Justice Bhagwandas, Mr. Justice Jawed Iqbal, Mr. Justice Shakirullah Jan, Mr. Justice Ghulam Rabbani and Mr. Justice Nasirul Malik.
The court has declared that no judge of the Supreme Court or any of the high courts including the chief justices would take oath under new PCO. It has also stopped all government officials to take any action under the emergerncy or PCO.
We think the country is being held hostage by a one-man dictatorship that will destroy the country. Such steps are against the will of the people and the law of the land and should be resisted on any and all the forums.
Aziz Narejo
President, SANA
(Sindhi Association of North America)
Note: This statement is issued within an hour of the government action and it is based on the initial reports.