PPP apprises world bodies of political victimisation

Central Coordinator, Human Rights Cell, Pakistan Peoples Party, Fauzia Wahab MNA, has apprised the United Nations, European Union, Commonwealth and international human rights organisations of the state of 'repression targeting political parties, judiciary and media under General Musharraf's military regime and urged the international community to take up the matter with Pakistani rulers.
In a detailed letter, Fauzia Wahab expressed the PPP concerns over the judicial crisis, political chaos, growing extremism, restrictions of press and deteriorating law and order in the country.
About political victimisation, she said among the detainees was Babu Sarmad Mansoor, district Finance Secretary of PPP Gujrat, who fell victim to state brutalities. Arrested from Gujrat, Sarmad was a known cardiac patient and his family had made several requests to shift him to a hospital. Unfortunately nobody paid heed to the pleading of his family and after ten days in illegal confinement he suffered a massive cardiac arrest at Kot Lakhpat Jail. He breathed his last as no timely medical treatment could be provided.
Condemning the new Pemra ordinance, she said, the regime was demonstrating an intolerance, which would undermine the attempts to create a pluralistic and diverse society in the country.
Regarding growing incidents of disappearance at the hands of security agencies Fauzia Wahab said the sudden disappearance of Zain Bugti, the grandson of Akber Bugti, was a recent case of missing persons. His father Talal Bugti had reported that his son was kidnapped by the agencies while he was coming out of his office in Karachi.
Earlier, he had received a phone call from some Brigadier Maqsood, the chief of Military Intelligence. The Supreme Court took suo motu notice of the case and had directed the regime to submit a comprehensive report on his disappearance by June 6.
She said ever since the PPP government was ousted in 1996, Pakistan's drift into religious extremism had remained on the rise. Violence, intolerance, bigotry, fanaticism have been the direct outcome of this trend.
The military government despite its tall claim of promoting moderate enlightenment has failed to arrest this trend. In some parts of the country, the fundamental religious forces have established their own courts, their own police and revenue collection system.
She believes that without restoration of democracy the forces of violence cannot be weakened, citizens cannot be given protection of law and opportunities to provide progress and prosperity through employment, education and welfare schemes cannot be created.