Dear Friends,

The situation in the country is uncertain. There is a strong crackdown on the press and lawyers. Majority of the judges of the Supreme Court and four High Courts have not taken oath. The Chief Justice is under house arrest (unofficially). The President of the Supreme Court Bar (Aitzaz Ahsan) and 2 former presidents, Mr. Muneer Malik and Tariq Mahmood have been imprisoned for one month under the Preventive Detention laws. The President of the Lahore High Court Mr. Ahsan Bhoon and former bar leader Mr. Ali Ahmed Kurd have also been
arrested. The police is looking or 6 other lawyers, including President of Peshawar and Karachi bar. The President of Lahore bar is also in hiding.

There are other scores political leaders who have also been arrested.

Yesterday I was house arrested for 90 days. I am sending my detention order.

Ironically the President (who has lost his marbles) said that he had to clamp down on the press and the judiciary to curb terrorism. Those he has arrested are progressive, secular minded people while the terrorists are offered negotiations and ceasefires.

Lawyers and civil society will challenge the government and the scene is likely to get uglier. We want friends of Pakistan to urge the US administration to stop all support of the unstable dictator, as his lust for power is bringing the country close to a worse form of civil strife. It is not time for the international community to insist on preventive measures, otherwise cleaning up the mess may take decades. There are already several hundred IDPs and the space for civil society has hopelessly shrunk.

We believe that Musharraf has to be taken out of the equation and a government of national reconciliation put in place. It must be backed by the military. Short of this there are no realistic solutions, although there are no guarantees that this may work.

Asma Jahangir
Chairperson Human Rights Commission of Pakistan

Among those in the Pakistani judiciary who have been sacked by Musharraf is Sindh’s Chief Justice, Sabihuddin Ahmed. Asked by a reporter whether he was under house arrest, he said: “They haven’t given me any order to that effect. But when I started for my office, they told me I couldn’t leave my house.” The Chief Justice also happens to be my wife’s maternal uncle. Here is a BBC report on what happened at his house. I like the defiant note on which Mamu concludes his remarks:

Chief Justice Sabihuddin Ahmed told the BBC: “I understand that I am still the chief justice. I haven’t received any order of my dismissal. In fact, the Supreme Court issued an order on Saturday, pre-empting the imposition of emergency in the country. That still remains a legal order.”

Also check out this report in the NY Times by David Rohde. His question at the end is stark but very pertinent.