Pakistani-Americans
Demand Judicial Inquiry
Chicago,
IL: The Pakistan American Democratic Forum (PADF), a pro-democracy
grassroots organization, has demanded a judicial inquiry
into the May 12 Karachi massacre by a commission comprised
of the judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Regardless of who was killed and by whom, the May 12 massacre,
which illustrates that the Musharraf regime is neither moderate
nor enlightened, has resulted from its faltering attempts
to contain and reverse the pro-judiciary movement.
The PADF statement in part reads:
We, Pakistani-Americans join our Pakistani brothers and
sisters in mourning the loss of so many precious lives on
May 12. We request Justice Rana Bhagwandas, the acting Chief
Justice of Pakistan, to use his suo moto powers and set
up a commission of inquiry as soon as possible so that the
criminals are not able to cover their tracks.
“If the writ of the state was made to fail by design
then the government is a co-conspirator in these murders,
if it happened despite its best efforts then it is guilty
of gross incompetence, and if came about due to lack of
preparation then it is a case of criminal negligence”,
PADF President, Dr. Muhammad Ashraf Toor said. “The
present government must be held accountable for the loss
of so many precious lives.”
Political scientist Dr. Agha Saeed has noted that every
dictatorship in Pakistan goes through four phases: 1) honeymoon,
2) disappointment and alienation, 3) resentment, agitation
and resistance, and 4) removal from power. It is evident
the present regime is headed toward the crescendo of the
third phase.
In view of the above, the PADF had recently expressed its
concerns about the establishment’ s systematic campaign
of harassment - threats, administrative harassment, physical
attacks, and massive arrests - against the Chief Justice,
his lawyers, bar associations, and political activists.
Ever since Pakistan Supreme Court's decision on May 8 to
stay Supreme Judicial Council’s proceedings, which
has been widely viewed as a setback for the Musharraf Government,
key officials including Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz have
been threatening to impose emergency rules and suspend all
basic rights.
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