KARACHI, Nov 3, 2007: Participants at a meeting
of concerned citizens held to discuss a citizens’
charter for democracy expressed outrage at the
imposition of emergency. They condemned it as an
unjustified step and and demanded that it be
lifted with immediate effect.
The group opposed the extreme measures being
taken in the name of emergency, including the
oath that judges have been asked to take, the
Judges’ Colony in Islamabad being sealed off and
the television channels being taken off air. The
meeting, attended by various concerned citizens
from different sectors of society, termed the
imposition of emergency as part of the
intimidating tactics being used to pressurise the
judiciary in light of the forthcoming judgement
on the presidential elections.
The group has resolved to join the lawyers and
other citizens demanding the lifting of
emergency, and holding of free and fair elections
under an interim government. The meeting included
members of Pur Aman Karachi (Uzma Noorani of
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Anis Haroon
of Aurat Foundation, and artist & curator Niilofur
Farrukh) besides several other citizens including
businessman Nadeem Khalid, consultant Naeem
Sadiq, Asad Umar from the corporate sector,
political science professor Sahar Shafqat, human
rights lawyer Abira Ashfaq, educationist Tahseen
Hussain, student Haya Hussain, blogger Awab Alvi,
and journalists, Shahid Husain and Beena Sarwar.