Ramsey Clark Tells CJ: “The Whole World Is Indebted to You”

Newark, CA: The Pakistan American Democratic Forum (PADF), a grassroots organization founded in 1982 to support the democracy movement in Pakistan , held a tele-press-conference in support of Pakistan ’s deposed judges. This tele-press-conference was addressed by Hon Ramsey Clark, 66th Attorney General of the United States; Mike Gravel, Presidential Candidate, US Senator 1969-81; Ako Abdul Samad, Assemblyman from 66th District, De Moines, Iowa, and Peter Erlinder, law professor and former president of the National Lawyers’ Guild.
 This tele-press-confrence was moderated by PADF Board Member Dr. Agha Saeed. CJ’s lawyers Munir Malik and Athar Minullah also participated in the tele-press-confrence.
Connected via the conference call, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry briefly spoke with Ramsey Clark and other speakers. He told his interlocutors that his struggle is not a struggle for personal gain but for the common people of Pakistan . “No nation”, he said “can be free without the rule of law and the supremacy of the Constitution.   
Ramsey Clark replied: “What you and your colleagues have done has never been done in the history of the world. The whole world is indebted to you”
Mr. Clark and his colleagues have vowed to send a letter to the US Secretary of State Condi Rice to protest US complicity in the firing of the Chief Justice
A segment of the CJ’s conversation with Mr. Clark is given below:
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudry: It is a pleasure to talk to you and Senator Gravel. I thank you and your colleagues for your support and solidarity. We are trying to establish rule of law to make ourselves a truly civilized people. No nation can be free without the rule of law and the supremacy of the Constitution.
You give us stability and strength because in this hard time you people have stood up like a rock…and not only your good self [Attorney General Ramsey Clark], and the senator [Mike Gravel], as well as your institutions. We are very grateful to the American Bar Association, Harvard Law School , the New York Bar Association and other s who have shown solidarity and helped us to move forward. Your support enables to continue our struggle.
There must be a supremacy of the constitution and rule of law in Pakistan and we are confident that in the future you will also continue extending the same support till we succeed in establishing the rule of law and showing that this nation is a civilized nation, and it believes in the supremacy of the constitution and the independence of the judiciary.
Myself, my other colleagues, who are judges of superior court, the high court, as well of members of the legal community, as you know they are all out on the roads and they are agitating for the rule of law.
This is the first time in this country that the people have taken this…showing the courage, have coming with the judiciary and the legal community. I am sure you and your colleagues know that the day before yesterday there was long march, from every corner of the country to the road of Islamabad …
And once again, I thank you and your colleagues, and the other participants in showing your solidarity and support.  
Ramsey Clark: Sir, it is an honor to talk to you.  It is a historic occasion.  What you and your colleagues have done has never been in the history of the world. The whole world is indebted to you. You are an inspiration to all of us. Please let us know whatever service we may be able to provide.

A video containing the complete text of this onversation and the subsequent press conference will be released by the Global Forum TV Productions in the next 48 hours. 

 

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