PUNE, 26 July 2007 — A former Pakistani judge has called upon Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf to remove his military uniform and pave way for democracy as people would not allow the continuation of military rule in the country.
Speaking at a program organized by the Pune Union of Working Journalists here, former Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid said that military rule in Pakistan had failed to solve issues and benefited only certain people.
Zahid said that free and fair elections were not possible as long as Musharraf remained in power and alleged that the Pakistani president had suspended Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry in bad faith. He added that since Pakistani political parties did not take any action, lawyers had to launch a campaign to have Chaudhry reinstated.
“We now see light at the end of the tunnel. Yet, we have a long way to go,” Zahid said, adding that the recent movement is also a warning to the country’s political parties.
Asma Jehangir, a Pakistani human rights activist, who also spoke at the event, said free and fair elections in Pakistan were not possible until Musharraf quits.
Asma also criticized the Indian government for giving Musharraf a grand welcome during his Agra visit.
The human rights activist did not rule out the possibility of Musharraf imposing a state of emergency in the country. “The United States, which has supported Musharraf so far, should see the pro-democracy mood in Pakistan,” she remarked.
The human rights activist condemned the storming of the Red Mosque in Islamabad and the alleged indiscriminate use of force against students and militants inside. She asked how arms entered the mosque and who was financing the mosque’s authorities.
Saying that terrorism was a genuine threat, Asma claimed that Musharraf was “psychologically” finished and that the US may act according to the situation. She was very optimistic that former Prime Ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif would return to Pakistan to contest elections.
