GIVE US BACK OUR COUNTRY

Dawn & The Nation - November 15, 2007


GIVE US BACK OUR COUNTRY
“The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in the time of crisis choose to maintain their neutrality” Dante

We, members of the civil society, strongly protest the 3 November 2007 assault on the Constitution, sanctity of the Judiciary, freedom of the media and fundamental rights of the people of Pakistan. It has destabilised the country and brought ignominy and international censure.

Distressed at the excessive and arbitrary use of the brute force and mindful of the disastrous implications of the reckless acts for the security and integrity of Pakistan and the welfare if its people, we condemn the Black Day draconian measures and demand:

• Restoration of the Constitution through immediate withdrawal of the proclamation of emergency and the provisional constitutional order (PCO).
• Reinstatement of the honorable judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts illegally removed on November 3, 2007.
• Immediate and unconstitutional release of all the political prisoners including judges, lawyers, journalists and human rights activists.
• Immediate removal of all restrictions on the media and withdrawal of black laws designed to curb media freedom.
• Fair, free and transparent elections following restoration of the Constitution and lifting of the emergency and ensuring the participation of all political parties under a national consensus government and an independent election commission.
• Strict adherence by the armed forces to their oath and constitutional role.

We applaud the courage and the wisdom of the honorable judges of the Supreme Court who declared the proclamation of emergency and the PCO illegal and unconstitutional.

We urge the entire nation to stand firm and united in this hour of trial and to resolutely and peacefully resist the dictatorial measures.

Justice ® Aamir Raza
Afzal Malik, Architect
Prof. Dr. S. Amjad hussain, University of Toledo, USA
Lt. Gen. ® Asad Durrani
Dr. Fareeha Zafar, Director SAHE
Prof. Dr. Ghulam Mustafa Ch., Former Vice Chancellor
Prof. Dr. Hassan Shah, GCU
Engr. Iftikharul Haq, Business Executive
Lt. Gen. ® Jamshed Gulzar Kayani
Javed Husain, Former Ambassador
Kaukab Khawaja, TV Food Expert
Manzurul Haq, Business Executive
Mujib-ur-Rehman Shami, former President CPNE
Justice ® Nasira Iqbal
Parveen Qadir Agha, Former Secretary
Irfan Hussain, Columnist
M. Shafquat, Former Ambassador
Shahid Nadeem, Writer/Producer
Sultan Ahmed, M.D., SQA
Tariq Saeed Haroon, Former Secretary
Dr. Tayyab Mahmud, Professor of Law, USA
Prof. Dr. Yasmeen Rashid, PMA, pb.
Abduallah Hussain, Writer
Ahmad Bilal Mehboob, PILDAT
Prof. Dr. Anjum Nasim, LUMS
Ayaz Amir, Journalist
Faryal Gauhar, Former UN Goodwill Ambassador
Prof. Hasan Askar Rizvi, Analyst/Political Consultant
Dr. Humayun Khan, Former foreign Secretary
Prof. Ijazul Hassan, Artist
Justice ® Saeed uz Zaman Siddiqui
Vice Admiral ® Javed Iqbal, Former Ambassador
Jawad Bashir, Actor/director
Brig. ® Khalid Rashid
Masood Hasan, Columnist
Munir Ataullah, Columnist
Mr. Osama Siddique, Associate Prof. LUMS
Dr. Rehana Raza, Asstt. Prof. LUMS
Salima Hashmi, Educationist
Shafqat Ezdi Shah, Former Secretary
Syed Shahid Husain, Former Secretary
Shama Haq, Journalist
Lt. Gen. ® Talat Masood
Tasneem A. Siddique, former Secretary
Touqir Hussain, former Ambassador
Zafar Altaf, Former Secretary
Justice ® Aftab Farrukh
Ahmad Faraz, Poet
Anwar Syed, Professor Emeritus
Dr. Faisal Bari, Associate Prof., LUMS
Faseeh Iqbal, President CPNE
Hassan Abbas, Fellow, Harvard University
Iftikhar Murshed, Former Ambassador
Iqbal Ahmed Khan, former Ambassador
Jamil Ahmad, Former Chief Secretary
Javed Jabbar, Former Minister/Senator
Justice ® Karamat Nazir Bhandari
Madeeha Gauhar, Theatre Director
Lt. Gen. ® Moinuddin Haider
Nasim Zehra, Columnist
Dr. M. Owais Farooqi, President Pakistan Forum
Dr. Sarwar Chaudhry, President-Elect PMA, Pb.
Samina Ahmad, Actor/Producer
Shafqat Mahmood, Former Senator
Shahid Jalal, Artist
Shamshad Ahmad, Former Foreign Secretary
Dr. Tanvir Ahmad Khan, Former Foreign Secretary
Prof. Dr. Tasnim Raza, FJMC
Dr. Syed Turab Hussain, Asstt. Prof. LUMS
Dr. Zahid Mohyuddin, President, PMA, pb.
Justice ® Sajjad Ali Shah
Athar Minallah, Lawyer
Brig ® Izzat Shah
Salman Shahid, Actor
Kamran Shafi, Columnist
Dr. Rafia Ali, Educationist
Roedad Khan, Former Secretary General

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