Hundreds more lawyers arrested in Pakistan

[Mojorabbit]

Source: Financial times

Hundreds more lawyers arrested in Pakistan

By Jo Johnson and Farhan Bokhari in Islamabad

Published: November 6 2007 19:44 | Last updated: November 6 2007 19:44

Hundreds more lawyers were arrested across Pakistan on Tuesday as the ousted chief justice at the centre of the country’s deepening political crisis urged the legal community to take the struggle for democracy to every corner of the south Asian state.

“It is the duty of every citizen and especially lawyers, to struggle for the supremacy of law, independence of the judiciary and real democracy,” Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary, told lawyers by mobile phone, according to Shaukat Rauf, a lawyer. The former chief justice is under house arrest.

Lawyers, human rights activists and opposition politicians represent the vast majority of the 1,500 people arrested since General Pervez Musharraf, president, suspended the constitution on Saturday. The army chief said “judicial interference” had led to a rise in Islamic extremism and hobbled the work of demoralised law enforcement agencies.

The clampdown is making it harder for Benazir Bhutto, leader of the Pakistan People’s party, to enter into a power-sharing agreement with the unpopular president. Yesterday, she ruled out holding talks with Mr Musharraf.

Read more: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5a3311f8-8c9e-11dc-b887-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1

[nightrider767]

1. Spreading Democracy!?!

If you want proof positive that we aren't spreading Democracy in Iraq, look no further than Pakistan.

This isn't about Democracy, this is about invading the Middle East.

[Double T]

2. Fing bushco has destabilized the entire ME; what a HUGE mess!

[dweller]

3. it can't happen here ...

http://www.commondreams.org/cgi-bin/newsprint.cgi?file=/news2007/1106-09.htm
http://nlg.org/convention/2007%20Resolutions/Impeachment%20resolution.pdf








right?
dp

[Skittles]

4. I have been out of the loop

can someone tell me the gist of wtf is going on in Pakistan

[Doctor Cynic]

5. okay...

Over the weekend Musharraf declared a state of emergency in the country, and that meant suspending the constitution. He also arrested the supreme court justices, who did not support his actions. At the same time all independent TV stations got blocked, internet got shut, and cell phones were shut. He said he had to do this to stop the spread of Islamic extremism. Yesterday hundreds of lawyers and other people protested, and then the police moved in and arrested and beat them all. When western countries condemned this move, he then *promised* to leave the military and hopd elections in January. That's basically it.

[Skittles]

6. WOW

hey - thanks for that capsule - wow, just wow. My days of thinking stuff like that could not happen in America are long, LONG gone. :o