NEW YORK — In a letter to General Pervez Musharraf, president of Pakistan, the New York City Bar Association has denounced the suspension of the Pakistani Constitution, the loss of an independent judiciary and the undermining of the rule of law. The letter, sent by City Bar President Barry Kamins, decries President Musharraf’s efforts to suppress free speech, free press and free assembly.
“In suspending the Constitution by a Provisional Constitutional Order, you have severely damaged the balance between security and freedom that was tenuous at best since the original suspension of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry in March of this year,” writes Kamins.
The association urges the release of individuals detained without charges, and calls on General Musharraf to lift emergency rule and reinstate the Constitution. The bar also denounces the silencing of private news outlets and the arrests and mistreatment of those who have openly opposed Musharraf’s emergency rule.
In its letter, the City Bar condemns the removal of sitting justices on the Supreme Court and their replacement with judges newly appointed under the Provisional Constitutional Order. Such action undermines an independent judiciary, which is vital to a democratic society, Kamins states.
© Brooklyn Daily Eagle 2007
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Just a reminder, though -- It’s not considered polite to paste the entire story on your blog. Most blogs post a summary or the first paragraph,( 40 words) then post a link to the rest of the story. That helps increase click-throughs for everyone, and minimizes copyright issues.
So please keep posting, but not the entire article. arturc at att.net
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