PANA Calls for Unity,
Democracy & Solidarity with Peoples of Lebanon & Palestine
New
York, NY: Pakistan-American National Alliance (PANA), a US-
wide coalition of Pakistani-American organizations, has issued
a PAKISTAN DAY statement which calls for internal unity, commitment
to constitutional democracy in Pakistan, and solidarity with
the suffering peoples of Lebanon and Palestine.
Their PAKISTAN DAY statement reads:
1. “We reaffirm our commitment to Pakistan’s stability,
progress, and prosperity, as well as to good governance enshrined
in rule of law, due process, equal justice, human rights and
civil liberties for all, women’s rights, minority rights,
and social justice. Also, internal, consensus-based, unity
among all provinces and ethnic and religious groups in Pakistan,
and all Pakistani-American communities and organizations in
the United States.
2. “We also reaffirm our commitment to Constitutional
democracy in Pakistan and vigorously demand: a) restoration
of the 1973 Constitution status quo ante October 12, 1999,
b) full compliance with the 1973 Constitution status quo ante
October 12, 1999 by the President and the Prime Minister of
Pakistan, and c) free and fair elections under an independent
election commission and with ready access to an independent
judiciary sworn to office under the Constitution and NOT Gen
Musharraf’s Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO).
3. “We wholeheartedly support Lebanese Government’s
Seven-Point Peace Plan unanimously adopted by the Lebanese
Cabinet and unanimously endorsed by the 22 member-states of
the Arab League.
4. “We ask the Government of Pakistan to condemn Israeli
aggression in the strongest possible terms, provide all possible
moral, material and diplomatic support to the suffering people
of Lebanon and Palestine, and terminate all informal contacts
with Israel.
5. “We vigorously support international demand for complete
withdrawal of Israeli armed and civilian forces from all parts
of Lebanon including the Sheeba Farm. Even-handed, single-standard,
approach to conflict resolution necessitates UN censure and
condemnation of all forms of terrorism including state terrorism,
and implementation of all relevant UN Resolutions, not just
1559. Peace presupposes justice, justice presupposes end to
triple Israeli occupations of Palestinian, Lebanese and Syrian
lands.
6. "We call on international human rights groups to bring
war crimes charges against Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
for his role in the deaths of hundreds of women, children
and the elderly in Qana, Lebanon, and in many less well-known
incidents.
7. "We urge the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC)
and the Arab League (AL) to declare Israel a terrorist state
and to support the Lebanese government's legitimate demand
for compensation from Israel for its war crimes.
8. "Finally, we urge all people of conscience to seek
divestment from any corporate entity that benefits the Israeli
war economy.”
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