[van-announce] Urgent Rally- Pakistani Emergency

[Harsha]

November 5, 2007

Dear friends:

Appended below is a Statement of Condemnation and Protest SANSAD makes
public on behalf of its Board of Directors.

We also announce a Public Demonstration and Press Conference on the new
crisis Gen. Musharraf has imposed on the people of Pakistan.It would be
held jointly by SANSAD and India-Pakistan Peace Network (IPPN), supported
also by other community-based organizations, and would take place on:

Thursday, November 8, at 11:30 a.m.
Vancouver Arts Gallery (Robson Street side)

For further information, contact:
For SANSAD: Dr. Haider Nizamanni: 604 - 228-0349; or 604 - 307-3744
            Dr. Hari Sharma: 604 - 420-2972
For IPPN :  Muhammad S Mahtab, 604 526 0990 or 778 908 1250


South Asian Network for Secularism and Democracy Statement

We in SANSAD are shocked by General Pervez Musharraf's decision to impose
the state of emergency and suspend the constitution of Pakistan.

We condemn the promulgation of the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO).
It is an assault on the already fragile democratic institutions of the
country. Clause 2 (1) of the PCO issued by the Chief of Army Staff gives
powers to the President to "amend the Constitution, as is deemed
expedient." This is nothing but a recipe for imposing personal,
dictatorial rule over 160 million Pakistanis. The PCO further gives the
President and Prime Minister total indemnity as the courts cannot give any
judgment that is against these individuals or anyone they give authority
to.

We in SANSAD believe that such sweeping powers to the President and the
Prime Minister are not only detrimental for political and civil rights of
the people of Pakistan, but would also further entrench the military in
the state, economy and social life of the country.

We condemn the suspension of the fundamental rights enshrined in the
Constitution of Pakistan and the large-scale arrests of politicians,
lawyers, judges, and human rights activists.

We seriously doubt General Musharraf's stated claim that the Emergency has
been imposed to fight extremists' militancy in the country. We believe
that his policies of carrying out the US agenda and its "war on terror"
are principally responsible for the rise of militancy in the country.

We demand that General Pervez Musharraf be removed as the Chief of Army
Staff and the President without delay. We demand that a transition
government of national consensus be formed which should hold fair and free
elections within 90 days, so that the political power is finally
transferred to the duly elected representatives of Pakistani people and
the role of the military in the governance of Pakistan brought to an end.

We also demand that the United States stop all military assistance to the
Musharraf regime, and stop all interferences in the internal affairs of
the country.

We express solidarity with all democratic forces of Pakistan who have
bravely challenged authoritarian moves of General Pervez Musharraf.