OPPORTUNIST RIGHT TURN

Turkish anti-migrant party backs Erdogan's rival in presidential runoff

Issued on: 25/05/2023 -

01:42
A hard-line, anti-migrant party on Wednesday threw its weight behind opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in this weekend’s runoff presidential race. The backing from the far-right Victory Party came in exchange for Kilicdaroglu promising to expel millions of migrants from the country.

Turkey election: Immigration to the fore as voters weigh up runoff choice
Issued on: 25/05/2023 -

03:46
Turkish voters will head to the polls in three days' time to elect a new president, choosing between incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdogan and challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu in a closely fought runoff. One issue that could sway the vote is immigration, with the leader of a minor right-wing party backing Kilicdaroglu in exchange for a deal that could see millions of immigrants, mostly from Syria, sent home.

Turkey's pro-Kurdish party keeps faith in Erdogan rival

Dmitry ZAKS

AFP
Thu, 25 May 2023 

Opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu's alliance with a far-right party alarmed Turkey's Kurds

Turkey's pro-Kurdish party decided Thursday to continue backing the main opposition leader despite his overtures to far-right parties in the runup to this weekend's historic presidential runoff.

Secular candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu alarmed his leftist Kurdish supporters by starting to court staunchly nationalist voters after losing to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the first round on May 14.

Kilicdaroglu put together the opposition's best performance of Erdogan's two-decade era in what is widely seen as Turkey's most consequential election of its post-Ottoman era.

But the 74-year-old still enters Turkey's first runoff vote Sunday trailing the conservative incumbent by nearly five points.

The pro-Kurdish HDP party and its green allies -- the third-largest voting bloc in the new parliament -- expressed particular alarm when Kilicdaroglu joined forces with a fringe far-right group this week.

Kilicdaroglu also unsuccessfully courted the endorsement of Sinan Ogan -- an ultra-nationalist who finished a distant third in the presidential ballot and threw his support behind Erdogan on Monday.

Turkish media reported that some HDP members wanted to call for a boycott of the second round in protest at Kilicdaroglu's tactics.

But HDP co-leader Pervin Buldan told reporters that staying away from the polls would only help Erdogan secure another five-year term.

"Erdogan is not an option for us," Buldan said.

"On May 28, we will complete the work that we left unfinished on May 14. In the face of those who try to prevent this demand for change, we will definitely go to the polls."

- Nationalist surge -

Kilicdaroglu's more overtly nationalist tone contrasts sharply with the inclusive campaign he ran in the first round.

The former civil servant tried to focus on healing Turkey's social divisions and pledged to defend Kurdish interests.

The long-repressed group represents up to a fifth of Turkey's 85-million-strong population and plays an important role in particularly close elections.

They broadly backed Erdogan when he and his Islamic-rooted party lifted some of the social and linguistic restrictions imposed on Kurds by staunchly secular governments in the past century.

But they turned against him when Erdogan broke off peace talks with Kurdish insurgency leaders and unleashed a sweeping crackdown in the wake of a failed 2016 coup.

Right-wing and nationalist parties emerged as the big winners of this month's parallel parliamentary polls.

Kilicdaroglu began to pledge to fight "terrorism" -- a Turkish euphemism for Kurdish groups that have been waging a bloody fight for broader autonomy since the 1980s.

He has also promised to immediately expel millions of Syrian and other migrants that have settled in Turkey since Erdogan came to power in 2003.

Buldan bluntly criticised Kilicdaroglu's new approach.

"It is wrong to score political points off immigrants or refugees," Buldan said.

"We will not back down from our stance under any circumstances."

But she added that her main goal on Sunday was ending Erdogan's "one-man regime".

zak/fo/imm

Animal rights activists take sheep from King Charles’ Sandringham Estate in Norfolk

Lydia Chantler-Hicks
Thu, May 25, 2023 

Three Animal Rising protesters pictured with the sheep they removed from a farm on the royal Sandringham Estate (@AnimalRising/Twitter)

Animal activists have taken three sheep from a farm on the King’s Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.

The lambs were taken by protesters from group Animal Rising on Wednesday evening, before the three women involved in the stunt handed themselves in to the police.

Animal Rising on Thursday shared photos of the women removing lambs, which it claims “would have otherwise shortly been sent for slaughter”, from Appleton Farm.

The group says the lambs are now “safe and with animal experts who will care for them and allow them to live happily”.

“Three lambs have been rescued from a royal farm on Sandringham Estate,” the group wrote on Twitter.

In an update posted around 10am, it said the women - named as Rosa Sharkey, Sarah Foy, and Rose Patterson - had handed themselves in to police.

“They did this because rescuing animals from harm is the right thing to do,” wrote the group.

“These women have acted out of compassion and they stand by the belief that a jury of ordinary people will take the side of care and freedom.

Animal Rising campaigners are pictured carrying a lamb from a farm on the Sandringham Estate (@AnimalRising/Twitter)

“This is how we fix our broken relationship with animals.”

It added that the activists had tried to rescue a mother sheep but “despite our best efforts, this time it wasn’t possible”.

“We take solace in knowing that we have done our best by these babies, saving them from slaughter and helping them to a long life of freedom,” the group said.

It also urged people to sign a public statement in support of the trio’s actions, which has so far attracted 200 signatures.

Thursday’s action comes after a high-profile stunt in December saw Animal Rising free 20 beagles from an animal testing facility in Cambridgeshire, two of which were later returned to the centre by police.

The 20,000-acre Sandringham Estate is a much-loved country retreat that has been in the royal family for more than a century. It is now owned by King Charles III.

The late Queen Elizabeth II formerly frequently stayed there from Christmas until mid-February, with close members of the royal family joining her for the festive season.

Grade-II listed Sandringham House and its gardens are also open to visiting members of the public, along with its sprawling parkland.

The Sandringham Estate has been approached by the Standard for a comment.

https://libcom.org/article/beasts-burden-antagonism-and-practical-history

Beasts of burden - Antagonism and Practical History | libcom... 

Mar 26, 2017 ... Beasts of burden - Antagonism and Practical History ... An attempt to rethink the separation between animal liberationist and communist politics.

Romanian Teachers Go on Nationwide Strike to Demand Higher Pay

Andra Timu and Irina Vilcu
Mon, May 22, 2023 

Romanian teachers chant anti-government slogans during a union protest in front of government headquarters in Bucharest on May 10.

(Bloomberg) -- Romanian teachers held a nationwide strike for the first time in two decades, demanding higher wages and better working conditions.

Over 150,000 teachers walked out of the classrooms and urged parents to keep children home weeks ahead of final exams. Union leaders are demanding an almost 50% wage hike for young teachers and progressive increases across the board at meetings with government officials.

Weekend negotiations yielded no result as teachers rejected a cabinet proposal over bonus payouts. Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said it’s hard to swiftly accommodate educators’ request because of budget constraints.

Romanian teachers protesting in front of the Romanian Government headquarters in Bucharest on Thursday © Daniel MIHAILESCU / AFP

“We need to see a credible solution from the government, with clear perspectives to end this strike,” said Marius Nistor, an education union leader.

The government in Bucharest is grappling with plans to cut spending and meet a budget-deficit target of 4.4% of gross domestic product.

The country’s ruling coalition is now wrangling over the details of a planned transition to a new prime minister in a power-sharing deal, even as a cost-of-living crisis and the war in neighboring Ukraine undercut the economy and inflation is stuck in double digit.

Palestinians push for release of seriously ill detainee

Ramallah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – The Palestinian Prisoners' Club pressed Thursday for the release of a seriously ill detainee, held for decades by Israel.

Issued on: 25/05/2023 

Supporters of Walid Daqqa, a Palestinian jailed for decades for the kidnap and murder of an Israeli soldier, rally for his early release on medical grounds
© HAZEM BADER / AFP

Walid Daqqa, a Palestinian serving time for the kidnap and murder of an Israeli soldier, has cancer, the advocacy group said.

"He is now on artificial ventilation and his lungs and kidneys are in great distress," it said in a statement.

A spokeswoman for the Israel Prison Service told AFP that Daqqa is currently at Shamir Medical Centre in central Israel.

Daqqa identifies as Palestinian although he holds citizenship from Israel, which would consider him Arab-Israeli.

Palestinians gathered in the West Bank city of Hebron on Thursday for a rally in solidarity with Daqqa and other Palestinians held by Israel.

The Palestinian Prisoners' Club said it delivered a letter to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Hebron and nearby Bethlehem, calling for the organisation to intervene in Daqqa's case.

An ICRC spokeswoman told AFP it had received the letter and the organisation had previously visited Daqqa.

Daqqa, 61, was diagnosed in December with a rare form of blood cancer -- myelofibrosis -- the Palestinian Prisoners' Club said.

The organisation said he was also diagnosed with leukaemia in 2015 and is currently due to be freed in March 2025.

Judicial authorities in Israel did not immediately respond to an AFP request regarding Daqqa's appeals for early release on medical grounds.

Outcry As Anti-abortion Stickers Hit Paris City Bikes

Abortions were de-criminalised in France in 1975.

By AFP - Agence France Presse

May 25, 2023


Rent-a-bike users in the French capital found large anti-abortion stickers plastered on their bicycles on Thursday, sparking an outcry from the government.

"What if you had let it live?" read the adhesive labels designed specifically to fit Paris bike mudguards.

The glued posters featured a drawing of a human foetus growing in a womb, then a crawling baby and finally a child waving on a bicycle.

A group called "The Survivors", which described itself as "youth revolted by the suffering... provoked by abortions", said it had planned the action.

City authorities said a "significant number" of bikes for hire under city rental scheme Velib had been targeted in the unsanctioned anti-abortion campaign.

"Disgusting and unacceptable," Transport Minister Clement Beaune wrote on Twitter.

Minister for Gender Equality Isabelle Rome was also appalled.

"Abortion is a fundamental right for women. We will not let anyone violate it," she said.

Health Minister Francois Braun described the sticker campaign as "shameful".

"The government... will always be on the side of women to guarantee their right to choose," he said.

Abortions were de-criminalised in France in 1975.

Successive laws in France have sought to make abortions safe, anonymous and free of charge.

But pro-choice associations say women wanting to abort still often face prejudice and hostility.

After the US Supreme Court overturned the right to abortion last year, President Emmanuel Macron in March said his government would put forward a draft law to enshrine abortion rights in the French constitution.


But it has not yet presented such a bill.

France recorded 220,000 abortions nationwide in 2020, according to national statistics institute INSEE.

BALOCHISTAN IS A NATION
Balochistan question

Editorial 

DAWN

Published May 25, 2023

FAR from the power centres of Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Lahore lies Balochistan, a vast land where misery prevails with its people forsaken by the state and caught between armed separatists and security forces. Though the Baloch separatist insurgency is currently in a low phase, militants continue to attack security personnel, and the situation in the province is far from normal. Every so often, the military announces that leading Baloch separatists and their cadres have given up their arms, and promised to work for the betterment of Pakistan. The capture of Gulzar Imam Baloch, alias Shambay, which was announced last month, largely follows the same script. The former head of the banned Balochistan National Army was produced before the media on Tuesday, where he declared his willingness to serve as a bridge between the state and Baloch militants. Apparently, Gulzar Imam has realised the waywardness of his earlier path, and has vowed to play a role for the development of Balochistan through peaceful means.

As mentioned above, several Baloch fighters have earlier laid down their arms in similar fashion. Yet the question remains: if hundreds of armed men over the past many years have abandoned the gun, why does the Baloch insurgency persist? One explanation is the involvement of hostile foreign actors, which Gulzar Imam also brought up during his meet-the-press event. While it is true that evidence points to the deeds of malevolent foreign forces in Balochistan, the malaise affecting the province has far deeper, localised roots. Principally, many of Balochistan’s people feel they are marginalised; there are good reasons for these feelings. The fact is that the province is, in many areas, decades behind the rest of Pakistan. And the primary responsibility for the pathetic state of affairs lies with the administration, particularly the establishment, which practically controls the province. Parading ex-militants who now have become ‘ardent supporters’ of the official narrative may have a limited effect. But to really take the wind out of the separatists’ sails, Balochistan must be brought into the national mainstream, its people made partners in the province’s progress. This can only be done when the elected representatives of Balochistan’s people have actual power to steer their province in the right direction, and ensure that the popular will is respected. Militarised solutions to political and socioeconomic problems will not bring peace to Balochistan.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2023

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for Balochistan 

PAKISTAN

US nod sought for Iran gas pipeline to avoid $18bn penalty

Anwar Iqbal

DAWN

Published May 25, 2023 

WASHINGTON: Pakistan is believed to have asked the United States to allow it to build a pipeline for buying gas from Iran or help it pay an expected $18 billion penalty it would face if it did not complete the project by March 2024.

Diplomatic sources told Dawn that Petroleum Minister Musadik Malik raised this issue with US officials when he visited Washington earlier this month, explaining to them that it’s legally bound to either complete the project by March 2024 or pay billions of dollars in penalty.

According to these sources, “Wash­ington is still reviewing the request.”

And Michael Kugelman, a scholar of South Asian affairs at Washington’s Woodrow Wilson Centre, told Dawn the Biden administration “understands Pakistan’s problem” but was in no rush to respond. “With US relations with Iran having worsened in the Biden era, I don’t expect the administration to go out of its way to help any country move the needle forward on commercial cooperation with Tehran,” he said.

“But Washington also understands that Islamabad’s economic interests drive the need to take policy steps that may go against US interests,” he added.

“This suggests the administration will be in no hurry to make any move at all, even if this entails the possibility of China stepping in to help Pakistan cover the costs.”

When Pakistani journalists asked the US State Department about a recent meeting between Pakistani and Iranian leaders during the opening of a border trading post, one of their spokespersons said: “We are aware of this meeting” where energy cooperation between the two nations was also discussed but “we do not have any comment to provide on the engagement.”

The spokesperson, however, shared the details of recent US efforts to help Pakistan deal with this difficult situation. “Ensuring Pakistan’s economic growth, energy security and environmental sustainability remains a priority for our bilateral relationship with Pakistan and a cornerstone of our Green Alliance,” the US official said.

He explained how the United States has been a leading investor in Pakistan for the past 20 years, with $250 million in foreign direct investments in 2022.

The official said that US firms were already making significant investments to “help Pakistan provide expanded access to a cleaner, more resilient energy supply.”

For example, General Electric (GE) wind turbines, power control systems and equipment are widely used in Pakistan, which will increase Pakistan’s renewable energy capacity.

Last week, media reports suggested that Iran could hand Pakistan a whopping $18bn penalty if Islamabad fails to complete its portion of the pipeline by March 2024.

The reports said that earlier this month Iran informed a visiting Pakistani delegation that Pakistan should construct the gas pipeline as stipulated in their revised agreement or pay the penalty.

Iran has already finished its portion of the pipeline – from the gas field to the Pakistan border, where it should connect to the Pakistan portion.

The pipeline would allow Pakistan to start receiving 750 million cubic feet of gas from Iran daily once it’s completed and commissioned.

Pakistan signed the pipeline agreement in 2014, which included a condition that Islamabad will pay billions of dollars in penalties if it abandons the project.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2023

PAKISTAN

ISI and MI say Imran Riaz not in their custody, senior cop tells LHC

Rana Bilal 

DAWN

Published May 25, 2023 

Lahore police Deputy Inspector General (Investigation) Kamran Adil told the high court on Thursday that both the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Military Intelligence (MI) had said that anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan — whose whereabouts remain unknown since his arrest on May 11 — was not in their custody.

The police official made the remarks as the Lahore High Court (LHC) resumed hearing a plea seeking the recovery of the anchorperson, who was among the individuals apprehended in the wake of protests that erupted in the country after the arrest of PTI chairman Imran Khan.

Later, his lawyer told Dawn.com that a writ petition was filed on May 12 over the anchorperson’s arrest and the LHC directed the attorney general to present him before the court the same day. But, after its orders were not followed, Sialkot police were given a 48-hour deadline to recover Imran.

A first information report (FIR) pertaining to the matter was registered with Civil Lines police on May 16 on the complaint of the anchorperson’s father, Muhammad Riaz.


The FIR was registered against “unidentified persons” and police officials for allegedly kidnapping Imran, invoking Section 365 (kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

At the previous hearing, Punjab Inspector General Dr Usman Anwar had told the court that there was no trace of the journalist at any police department across the country.

The LHC had subsequently directed the ministries of interior and defence to “discharge their constitutional duties to effect the recovery” of the missing anchorperson.
The hearing

LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti presided over today’s hearing during which the Lahore police DIG (Investigation) appeared before the court instead of the Punjab IG.

The lawyer representing the Punjab government requested the court to exempt the provincial police chief from appearing as he was attending a ceremony in connection with Martyrs Respect Day in Gujranwala.

The LHC CJ inquired about the IG’s schedule and asked for the record to be submitted. The DIG assured the court that the record would be submitted to the court.

During the hearing, the DIG stated, “The ISI and MI have said that Imran Riaz is not in their custody”.

Meanwhile, the anchorperson’s counsel, Advocate Azhar Siddique, told the court that Imran’s father, Muhammad Riaz, wished to speak.

Justice Bhatti emphasised the court’s commitment to upholding fundamental rights while Riaz said his son was “being punished for making a vlog”.

The court directed the journalist’s lawyers to meet with the police team later today and told them to provide the police with any evidence that was in their possession.

The hearing was later adjourned.
Info minister called out for remarks on Imran’s disappearance

Earlier this week, journalists and human rights activists had strongly criticised Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb’s comments regarding Imran’s case.

Journalist Secunder Kermani, a Channel4 News foreign correspondent, had shared a video of an exchange with the information minister about the missing anchorperson.



He questioned Aurangzeb about journalists going missing and being detained, adding that these were the same issues that the PML-N had raised as matters of concern when in opposition during the previous PTI government.

In response, Aurangzeb asked Kermani to name even a single journalist who was missing. When Kermani mentioned Imran, the minister responded, “Imran Riaz is a political party spokesperson now. You really have to draw [a] distinction.”

She further said, “You have to differentiate between journalists and the journalists who have joined political parties. Once they have joined political parties, they are inciting violence, they are spokespersons of that political parties.”

Aurangzeb’s response elicited severe criticism from several journalists and rights activists, who reminded the minister that a person’s disappearance was an issue of basic human rights irrespective of what political party they favoured.

Lawyer and social activist Jibran Nasir said that Aurangzeb believed Imran “should be seen as a supporter of PTI and hence considered a sub-human who deserves the treatment being meted out to them.

“Now just imagine the plight of ordinary citizens suffering military trials,” he added.

Pakistan Initiative at Atlantic Council’s South Asia Centre Director Uzair Younus said Imran’s status as a journalist or not should not matter.

He said that Imran had fundamental constitutional rights granted to him on account of his Pakistani citizenship.

“Stop violating his rights and those of countless others. These disappearances are heinous!” he tweeted.

PAKISTAN
FSC on transgender persons

It is far-fetched to extrapolate that transgender persons as a whole and in all contexts are repugnant to Islam.

Sara Malkani

Published May 25, 2023

ON May 19, the Federal Shariat Court declared that key provisions of the landmark Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018, are repugnant to Islam. The FSC has called for invalidating a law that serves to protect some of the most marginalised persons in our society. Unless the FSC decision is appealed before the Supreme Court, its ruling will become effective in six months.

The FSC finds that the definition of “transgender persons” in the law conflates a range of identities, each of which has distinct physical characteristics and also a distinct status in Islam. Crucially, the FSC has held that Section 3 of the 2018 Act which recognises the right of transgender persons to their self-perceived gender identity is contrary to Islam. The ‘voluntary change of sex’ on the basis of self-perceived gender identity is also against Islam.

The FSC states that the definition of “transgender persons” under the 2018 Act includes intersex, eunuchs and khwaja siras, transgender men and transgender women. Intersex persons are “special” and “deprived”. Eunuchs and khwaja siras, according to the FSC, refer to the same category of persons “with serious and permanent sexual infirmity in their male sexual organs”.

Transgender men and women on the other hand are persons whose self-perceived gender identity differs from the sex assigned to them at birth. The FSC considers the latter un-Islamic because Islam does not recognise any distinction between sex and gender identity.

It is far-fetched to extrapolate that transgender persons as a whole and in all contexts are repugnant to Islam.

At the outset, the FSC’s understanding of these sexual and gender identities is flawed. Contrary to what it says, khwaja siras are persons with distinct gender identities and it must not be assumed that they suffer from infirmities or disabilities. The identification of a person as khwaja sira is based on the self-perceived identity of the individual. There is no physical or medical assessment undertaken by the khwaja sira community when admitting new members. Indeed, there are no set physical or biological characteristics that make a person khwaja sira; rather it is a combination of psychological, physical and cultural factors that shape the identity.

Further, the FSC’s reasoning that any distinction between sex and gender identity is contrary to Islam is based on flawed reasoning. The FSC acknowledges that in “some cultures and societies a person or a human being is defined and identified by his or her ‘gender’ and not by his or her ‘sex’”, but then goes on to assert that “in Islam the defining factor for a human being in this context is ‘sex’ not ‘gender’”.

This conclusion is based on an obvious error of logic. The FSC relies on verses of the Holy Quran which declare that God created men and women. Since no other sex is specified, the FSC concludes that Islam does not recognise any other sex or gender. However, it does not logically follow from the verses acknowledging the creation of men and women that any other sex is repugnant to Islam, and that sex alone is the basis of gender identity. Indeed, none of the Quranic verses or hadith referred to by FSC support its conclusion that recognition of any distinction between sex and gender is contrary to Islamic injunctions.

The error of logic is obvious when we break down the argument as follows: a) The Quran recognises two sexes; b) the Quran does not explicitly recognise any distinction between sex and gender identity; c) Therefore, Islam forbids recognition of any distinction between sex and gender identity.

It is obvious why ‘a’ and ‘b’ does not entail ‘c’. If the Quran is silent on a matter, it does not entail that it finds that matter repugnant.

The FSC also relies on hadith that the Prophet (PBUH) disapproved of “effeminate men”. However, the ahadith cited involve only two incidents — one where the Prophet turned an “effeminate man” away from his house and the other where he banished a man who applied henna. Historians of the early Islamic period conclude that the “effeminate” men or “mukhannath” were common in society and played visible roles. However, there is no evidence to suggest that there was a blanket ban on these persons and these two incidents could well be isolated and context-dependent. It is far-fetched to extrapolate from these ahadith that transgender persons as a whole and in all contexts are repugnant to Islam.

It is similarly far-fetched to extrapolate from these ahadith, as the FSC does, that “in Islam males as well as females are not allowed to act and behave as an opposite sex” to the one assigned to them at birth. The FSC does not consider whether the categories of “effeminate” men or “mukhannath” as used in early Islamic society almost 15 centuries ago are identical to transgender identities as we understand and perceive them today. Today, there is a growing global consensus that gender identity falls on a spectrum, and is based on a range of biological, social and cultural traits.

The range of acceptable gender expression changes significantly over time. Is there any item of clothing, or hairstyle or even gait that can be deemed exclusively for ‘men’ or ‘women’? Who will make this determination? For example, are women with short hair and men with long hair expressing a gender identity contrary to their sex? Under the FSC’s reasoning the range of behaviour deemed repugnant to Islam is not only extremely broad but also impossible to identify.

What is particularly disappointing is that the FSC has ignored the distinct cultural status of the khwaja sira community in the subcontinent prevailing for several centuries. The fact that the FSC deems khwaja sira persons to have a disorder amounts to the stigmatisation and erasure of this community.

It is striking that the FSC has not considered fundamental rights provisions in Pakistan’s Constitution that guarantee life, dignity and equal protection under the laws to all persons. Its ruling could possibly vitiate the hard-won rights of transgender persons who face persecution and marginalisation on a daily basis. Surely the protection of their right to exist as equal citizens cannot be deemed contrary to Islam.

The writer is a lawyer.
Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2023

PAKISTAN ACADEMICS' COLLECTIVE

AN OPEN LETTER – CALLING FOR AN IMMEDIATE END TO STATE VIOLENCE IN PAKISTAN

MAY 23, 2023

Please sign our petition here

As scholars and academics, we are alarmed by recent events in Pakistan. We condemn the state-sanctioned violence, murder and torture of protestors, use of sexual violence against women and men, curbs on media, bans on freedom of assembly and speech, and arbitrary arrests of thousands of political leaders and workers belonging to the main opposition party.

Following the ouster of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s elected government in April 2022, the ruling establishment has unleashed a reign of terror in a desperate bid to hold on to power, and deny the people of Pakistan a say in their future. While violence and censorship by the state and the military establishment has continued over decades, we are witnessing this at a very different scale and intensity presently. The current government—backed, kept in power, and operated by the military establishment—is refusing to hold elections as mandated by the Constitution and ordered by the Supreme Court. The regime enjoys no popular mandate to rule and is depriving people of their right to vote, while seeking to eliminate the largest opposition party from the political arena.

Meanwhile, the people of Pakistan are facing an unprecedented onslaught on their civil liberties. Most recently, in flagrant violation of international human rights conventions, the military has announced its intention to establish military courts for trying civilians who protest and register their political dissent in the public domain, bypassing due process of law. The government has also attacked the judiciary, and court orders to release political leaders arrested under fabricated charges have been ignored. This is all occurring at a time when people are facing dire living conditions: over the last year, unemployment has spiraled, the currency has lost 55% of its value, and inflation has tripled.

We, the undersigned concerned scholars, write this open letter to express our solidarity with the people of Pakistan, and denounce attempts to impose a brutal and violent tyranny upon the country. The suspension of the rule of law, the use of state terror against the population, and the collapse of constitutional order is only deepening the political, economic, and social crisis in Pakistan.

Therefore we call upon the ruling establishment to:Restore civil rights: It is vital to restore and uphold the fundamental rights and liberties of the people of Pakistan. This includes protecting freedom of expression, assembly, and association, as well as ensuring the right to a fair trial and due process for all individuals. We further contend that audiences within and outside Pakistan have a right to access accurate information about newsworthy events, and demand immediate cessation of state interference with, and curbs on, press freedom.

Release all political prisoners: We urge the regime to immediately release all political prisoners who have been detained without just cause or due process. The continued incarceration of individuals including journalists, lawyers, doctors, academics, and other civilians for exercising their constitutional rights violates international law and principles of justice.

Cease efforts to use military courts for civilians: Trial of civilians under military courts represents a gross violation of the Constitution and contravenes international law. Legal proceedings must be pursued under the existing judicial system, which must be allowed to function without coercion.

Investigate and prosecute officials who have violated and abused citizens: We demand independent and impartial investigations be carried out to hold accountable those responsible for human rights violations. These include murder, torture, and use of sexual violence against political activists, journalists, and innocent civilians. The perpetrators must be brought to justice and victims provided reparations.

Respect the democratic process, end military interference in politics, and hold elections immediately: The state should desist from banning or breaking up any political party and engage in introspection on the deep drivers of grievances and the absence of institutionalized mechanisms to channelize these grievances. In a country of 230 million people, with an increasingly young and urban population, there is a legitimate expectation that people should have the right to choose their leaders and government.

 parties) consistently denies this right and public grievances are more likely to be directed at the Army. To avert imminent chaos, we demand that the ruling establishment must step back from this interference and hold timely, and free and fair elections, with all legitimate political forces allowed to contest.

Current signatures on petition here

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScM89_fECwvGjT888xI4WR40achjYd62_zXCPJk3zCNcFyJBw/viewform?pli=1


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