Sanih e Mashriqi Pakistan–>Dr. AQ Khan on 1971 in Jang

Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan has written a must read thought provoking article on 1971 Independence of Bangladesh.

It seems we have not learned the lesson from our history–>16 December 1971

History teaches lots of lessons and nations which don’t learn from it often become a forgotten part of it.
Below are the words of Hamood ur Rehman commission report. The commission was made to investigate the 1971 Fall of Dhaka or Independence of Bangladesh. As Bangladesh is a sovereign state now and we wish best of luck to them on their independence day.

“Indiscriminate killing and looting could only serve the cause of the enemies of Pakistan. In the harshness, we lost the support of the silent majority of the people of East Pakistan.” Hamood-ur-Rehman Commission Report on 1971

It seems we have not learned the lesson from our history and still repeating it in NWFP,Baluchistan and FATA.

Why Zardari needs no enemies–>Ansar Abbasi article in The News

Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=25831

Saturday, November 28, 2009
Viewpoint

By Ansar Abbasi

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari does not need adversaries as he is his own worst enemy. He shouldn’t be worried about the conspiracies, if any, of his political foes, the establishment or his perceived opponent — Geo and a few journalists associated with the Jang Group — because he himself is in a self-destructive mode.

Perhaps not many would be bothered as to what he does to himself but the big worry is about his style of governance which is marred by inaction and indifference at a time when there is a need to do a lot and seriously.

His strange and incomprehensible attitude is damaging Pakistan and threatening the whole system. To be precise and candid, if I am allowed to express my personal view, there is no greater threat to democracy and the system than the president himself. Others have the right to differ.

Getting to the Presidency or the chief executive’s office through democratic means, does not mean anything if the promises made are disregarded, election manifesto is overlooked, institutions are ruined, constitutional distortions are subtly protected to thrust and sustain a one man rule that could be described as civilian dictatorship, and parliament is ignored and cabinet is turned into a non-entity. All of this is happening under Zardariís rule.

Although the president has pointed his finger at Geo and Jang Group as his sole enemy, he conveniently ignored what the whole world says about his style of government, his growing unpopularity, mounting corruption of his regime and his men.

Read the foreign newspapers and magazines, look what is coming from Paris about the submarine deal, go through the international surveys about the record-breaking corruption to adjudge the reputation of Zardari-led political dispensation. You will find that Pakistan is hurting.

Ask the political parties, get the pulse of the military establishment, talk to the members of the civil bureaucracy and even have a heart to heart discussion with the PPP leaders including those holding public office, there is a consensus that the president is doing just contrary to what the situation demands. Pakistan is confronted with Himalaya like challenges but its president appears non-serious to face them and get them resolved. No matter what he said in his last public speech made from the Presidency, now generally termed his bunker, he knows how he is seen by all the stakeholders and how much he is trusted.

Media has always served as an easy prey for every government. What President Zardari also did on last Wednesday was no different from the past? We know the Jang Group has committed ìsinî by unearthing corruption scandals, one after the other, and by consistently highlighting tales of murder of merit, favouritism, bad governance. We are also ìresponsibleî for reminding the president and his government of promises, commitments and pledges that remained unfulfilled. President Zardari may not like it but we would continue doing so because it is our fundamental responsibility and this is what the media has been doing in the past.

We have nothing personal against anyone. We donít seek any personal favour, plots, foreign trips and lucrative positions. We neither conspire nor claim to be the kingmakers. We are just messengers and opinion makers. We may be accused of running campaigns or getting biased but all such campaigns or biases, if any, would be directed for institution building, rule of law, justice and fair play. The deserted ousted dictator General (retd) Musharraf also thought that we were biased against him. To an extent he was right that we were biased. But our bias was not against him but to achieve the goal of independence of judiciary in Pakistan. We achieved the goal for which the whole nation takes pride today.

Our criticism against the president and his regime is based on similar biases, which should not be misinterpreted in any other manner. Needless to say that we are biased against corruption, we are biased against nepotism and violation of merit, we are biased against misrule, we are biased against undemocratic postures of the democrats, we are biased against weakening of the institutions, we are biased against military rule as well as civilian dictatorship and certainly we are biased against anything that in any manner harms our homeland.

Mediaís criticism is nowhere seen as a ìconspiracyî to make or break governments. Instead, it is taken by the matured minds and civilised societies as a chance to improve governance, better service delivery, address injustices and serve the public interest.

President Zardari may not like it but he needs to change himself if he wants to secure his presidency. It may also not sound music to his ears but he also needs to change his company by getting rid of the tainted sycophants, dirtied courtiers, corrupt to the core souls and some ìknownî agents of MI6 and CIA, surrounding him. He has to act without any further delay to undo the 17th Amendment, implement the Charter of Democracy and check corruption. Otherwise, he would continue getting weaker and weaker with every passing day. But for his own follies and failings, there is no reason to blame others, particularly the media, which is the mirror, whom the politician always support and admire when out of power intoxication.

If we need a revolution or something , we need genuine thinkers and visionaries not so called hakims or so called spiritualists .

If we need a revolution or something , we need genuine thinkers and visionaries not so called hakims or so called spiritualists who copy the ideas re-mold them into their dirty deceptive agenda and use the names and work of great genuine people like Iqbal, Jinnah etc for their bogus agenda. I am seeing lots of good people following these deceivers just in the name of nationalism, patriotism etc .
My suggestion is to use your free mind and sense of justice so that you don’t get misguided by these so called nationalists.

—————————————————————————————-

Some of my friends on these views of mine against the war think that I support the terrorists for them I need to say:

Opposing the war doesn’t mean supporting the terrorists.

I consider both army and the suicide bombers or terrorists who are killing the innocent civilians as destroyers of peace and don’t find their actions as just.

The problem is when I oppose the war the “nationalists” think as if I am supporting the
terrorists in fact I am opposing the mess and pointing out to destroy the root cause.

I consider prime responsible for this mess are army and government and reason is they
brought an unwanted war on our land and people.

I oppose the killings of innocent civilians in suicide bombs and by army/air force bombings
but again I consider prime responsibility goes to the country institutions because they (means their key heads rest are just blind followers) created the mess for dollars and this mess has created terrorism.

It was army and government who breached the agreement made by Jinnah for dollars.

It was again army and government with allied forces in Afghanistan with their missile attacks and drone attacks destroyed three peace deals after 2004 .
Before this operation ISPR and Information ministry deliberately tried to mold the facts as if the agreements were broken by tribes but even former army generals like Asad Durrani rejected these claims.
Try to find out how “Neik Muhammad” got killed after the peace deal by USA missile attack and then look at the government reaction of owning it.

The terrorist activities can mainly be categorized as:

1) Revenge of the innocent killings by our forces here and Allied forces in Afghanistan.
Also our support in the form of giving supply route to NATO supplies and Drone attacks are playing it’s part as well.
2) Revenge and anger exploited by enemies of Pakistan but its our fault we are providing them the ground to play with.
3) Attacks like on Shariah academy,Peshawar and Benazir were done by players of weapon-blood-dollar game which includes enemies of Pakistan who want us to remain engaged in the war (so called allies in the so called war against terror) and their pets in our own ranks (politicians, military and civil establishment etc).

After the blast which killed Benazir Bhutto the place and all the evidence was washed within hours and a drama was created to link it with tribal situation which never got proved.
My question is who was being protected here?

4) Not to forget the ethnic and sectarian cards which Musharraf government played with their allied parties and groups to control power, they have also contributed a lot to this mess.

My questions are:

Can we support innocent killings in the name of nationalism?
Can we support injustice in the name of patriotism?
And after doing that can we expect peace?

Pakistan Feudal Party Imposing Feudal Law In Pakistan

If you have killed hundreds of people, involved in billions of rupees corruption or involved in any major or minor crime you just need to become a part of a filthy ruling cult and you will get indemnity from all you have done and will do in future.

That’s what this so called National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) is.
NRO, a draconian law which was introduced by a dictator who twice abrogated the constitution and committed high treason.

The sole purpose for this law was to ensure power sharing between new imperialist pets of Pakistan Feudal Party (so called Pakistan Peoples Party,PPP) and American pet dictator Musharraf and in case if Musharraf has to leave the stage then the NRO deal will convert into NRO-Safe Exit deal.

In this turbulence time of our self grown crises with the assistance of dollar masters our country will further go into trouble as this draconian law will destroy the already weakened concepts of justice and equality within our society.

This will allow the ruling elite to do more loot and plunder of our nation and go scot-free.

The cabinet of so called democratic government and standing committee of so called law and justice has approved it and now the government has planned to put it in front of the parliament.

A new game of numbers, image building, bargaining and hypocrisy will start and Allah knows what will come out of it as a result.

Imran Khan has already shown his intention that if NRO gets approved from parliament then he is going to challenge it in Supreme Court which has already shown signs of giving a judicial review in case they find it against the spirit of our constitution and human rights (which you can easily judge it is).

Aitzaz Ahsan, former SCBA president and senior but sidelined member of PPP has also said that SC has the right to review and reject NRO if it finds against the basic human rights.

It’s time to sort out the real problems

Recent attacks on civilians are not only horrible but highly condemnable but with all the condemnation and anger we need to sort out the real problems which have become the real cause of this mess.

The terrorist activities in Pakistan are a result of capitalist-imperialism, greed of
our leaders, absence of justice and lack of accountability of our institutions.

If we think that few thousand Talibans ( with all the disagreements and agreements with wrongs and rights of their system) or some other force can rule us then it means we
are admitting that our state structure is garbage and if you are talking about changing the culture or ideology by force…No chance.

The terrorist activities can mainly be categorized as:

1) Revenge of the innocent killings by our forces here and Allied forces in Afghanistan.Also
our support in the form of giving supply route to NATO supplies and Drone attacks are playing it’s part as well.
2) Revenge and anger exploited by enemies of Pakistan but its our fault we are providing them the ground to play with.
3) Attacks like on Shariah academy,Peshawar and Benazir were done by players of weapon-blood-dollar game which includes enemies of Pakistan who want us to remain engaged in the war (so called allies in the so called war against terror) and their pets in our own ranks (politicians, military and civil establishment etc).

4) Not to forget the ethnic and sectarian cards which Musharraf government played with their
allied parties and groups to control power, they have also contributed a lot to this mess.

The only solution is to bring system of justice, re-establishment of tribal institutions and accountability of institutions and leaders to fix the internal problems.

As far as the external part of the solution we need to tell USA and NATO to get out from Afghanistan and end this baseless war and if they don’t we need to come out of this war on our own, stop NATO supplies from Pakistan, stop Drone attacks by any means and convey the Pros of peace and Cons of this war to the the rest of the world.

Imran criticises NRO, govt’s US policy–>TheNation

ISLAMABAD – Chairman Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan said Friday that the incumbent rulers were beneficiaries of the NRO, adding that the nation was waiting for the Parliament’s decision on the ordinance.
While talking to media persons after a discussion forum over the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) organized by PTI’s Womens Wing, Khan said that the Ordinance was promulgated to protect those who looted national wealth and committed crimes against the nation. He also announced that he would challenge the ordinance in the Supreme Court.
Khan also said that he could not understand the politics of PML-N, saying even the media could not understand the same. He also said that it was not the PML-N but the people of the country who got the judiciary reinstated.
The PTI Chief opposed the ongoing operation in South Waziristan Agency, and said that the security situation had further deteriorated after each military operation. He stressed for differentiating between the good and bad Taliban, saying how could Pakistan not talk to the Taliban when the US government was allocating funds for them.
Khan said that the February 18, 2008 elections gave birth to a slavish government that was destroying the country to secure dollars from USA. “How can it be our own war when the US government is funding its expenditures”, he questioned. He further said that the Army should not fight against our own people but the government should opt for a political solution of the problem. “Tribal people who once fought shoulder to shoulder with the Army are now combating our own troops”, Khan regretted.

Khan also quoted former Governor NWFP as saying that the US always sabotaged Pakistan’s bid to bring peace through dialogue in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). He said he never denied the presence of extremists and militants in Pakistan but he always objected the way government dealt with the issue. He also said that he was not against any nation but opposed policies of certain Western governments.
In response to a query, the PTI Chief said that the NRO protected looters and dacoits, adding that people would come out one day on the streets to hold the rulers accountable for their money.
Chairperson PTI Women Wing Fozia Qasuri also spoke on the occasion. She said that PTI would come in power through welfare work and that politics was not left only to thieves and dacoits. She said that the incumbent government had added to the problems of the people.

Source:http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Politics/31-Oct-2009/Imran-criticises-NRO-govts-US-policy/1

Dictatorship,feudalism and corrupt mullaiat –>;What! is there any thing else for us????

The impeachment drama to keep people away from the real issues by our corrupt so called representatives is about to enter into the climax(ending will be positive inshaAllah but for that we have to get ready for a long struggle).

The Pakistan Feudal Party (I don’t know why it is still known as People’s Party) Chairman Asif Ali Zardari (his appointment is a classic example of their commitment with democracy, how can a person inherit people’s will?), blessed by Musharraf with NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance to legalize the loot and plunder our so called political and not so political like Rehman Malik etc did during the last few decades) is now staging a drama to give Musharraf a safe exit(What safe exit and to whom? To a killer of thousands and the person who betrayed constituion and the nation!).

The only thing which is creating hurdle is retired general’s will “to serve” his nation more but since the green signal is there from the “masters” of Pakistan so in the new script its hard to fit Musharraf .Our “masters” don’t want Iran type revolution where people got so frustrated with the Shah that they kicked him them-selves and if Musharraf stays for more period and the blood pressure of the masses rise to the threshold level of “enough is enough” then  people will take there future in there hand and topple the current dying system so our “masters” sitting in Washington need a change , a change like Zardari who with his wicked smile believes can fool the whole nation, intellectuals, lawyers, students etc .

Zardari is backed by low lives like Nawaz, Maulana diesel, Asfand Yaar etc to accompany him to achieve the goals for which he cashed the death of his wife (Benazir Bhutto, I don’t know after wasting so much time and elimination of key witnesses and proofs how her death can properly be investigated ?) and soon after the removal of Musharraf the parties in Musharraf camp will join him (you can see it how MQM played a “neutral” role in Sind assembly during the impeachment resolution).

SCBA has increased the deadline to 15 September but I still have doubts that Mr. Zardari will take the risk to restore the independent judges without protecting the NRO, he is not here to protect the rights of people, he has nothing to do with roti, kapra or makaan and all he cares about his greed and lust of power for which he can do any thing.

Sooner or later the nation will realize that the solutions of there problems are not in the hands of the dictators like Musharraf( people are there who have hopes with him, can only regret on this) or feudals like Zardari or corrupt businessmen like Nawaz or killers and looters like Altaf or soulless mullahs like Maulana Fazal ur Rehman , people have to rise for there own country them-selves.

It’s time to rise against the forces of status-quo and work for real social and economic justice in the country.

Go! Status-Quo G0!

Boycott Elections 2008—>Support the cause for justice

Cast your vote in favour of Pakistan and Boycott “General” Elections 2008 and support the cause for justice in Pakistan.

The reasons to boycot elections:

>The present setup is illegal

>The judiciary is not free (no one trusts the PCO judiciary of the dictator)

>The president is illegal

>Taking part in the elections (even voting) will be like supporting the constitutional violations

>Real Constitution not present

>The elections are arranged to form a setup which will continue the BUSH WAR against Islam and Muslims.

“A system which does not have the concept of justice should be thrown on the face of the people running it”

How worse things can go?—–>CJP’s letter in response to the dictator’s allegations.

 

How worse can things go?

Our CJ is forced to clear his position in the world because our so called President Dictator is maligning him all over the world.

 

BUT for CJP Sahab

 

“Sir you are giving justifications to the wrong people, they are the ones (especially Rice) who supported Musharraf’s actions from the back and its part of their ‘Do More’ policy.”

 

Keep Your spirits high , Allah will help you and us.

*AN OPEN LETTER TO:*

His Excellency

The President of the European Parliament,

Brussels.

His Excellency

The President of France,

Paris.

His Excellency

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom,

London.

Her Excellency

Ms. Condaleeza Rice,

Secretary of State,

United States of America,

Washington D.C.

Professor Klaus Schwab,

World Economic Forum,

Geneva.

All through their respective Ambassodors, High Commissioners and

representatives.

Excellency,

I am the Chief Justice of Pakistan presently detained in my residence

 Since November 3, 2007 pursuant to some verbal, and unspecified, order passed by General Musharraf.

I have found it necessary to write to you, and others, because during

 His recent visits to Brussels, Paris, Davos and London General Musharraf has slandered me, and my colleagues, with impunity in press conferences and other addresses and meetings. In addition he has widely distributed, among those whom he has met, a slanderous document (hereinafter the Document)

entitled: "PROFILE OF THE FORMER CHIEF JUSTICE OF PAKISTAN". I might

 have

let this go unresponded but the Document, unfortunately, is such an

 outrage that, with respect, it is surprising that a person claiming to be head of state should fall to such depths as to circulate such calumny against the Chief Justice of his own country.

In view of these circumstances I have no option but to join issue with

General Musharraf and to put the record straight. Since he has voiced

 His views on several public occasions so as to reach out to the public at large, I also am constrained to address your excellencies in an Open Letter to rebut the allegations against me.

At the outset you may be wondering why I have used the words "claiming

 to be

the head of state". That is quite deliberate. General Musharraf's

constitutional term ended on November 15, 2007. His claim to a further

 term

thereafter is the subject of active controversy before the Supreme

 Court of

Pakistan. It was while this claim was under adjudication before a Bench

 of

eleven learned judges of the Supreme Court that the General arrested a

majority of those judges in addition to me on November 3, 2007. He thus

himself subverted the judicial process which remains frozen at that

 point.

Besides arresting the Chief Justice and judges (can there have been a

greater outrage?) he also purported to suspend the Constitution and to

 purge

the entire judiciary (even the High Courts) of all independent judges.

 Now

only his hand-picked and compliant judges remain willing to "validate"

whatever he demands. And all this is also contrary to an express and

 earlier

order passed by the Supreme Court on November 3, 2007.

Meantime I and my colleagues remain in illegal detention. With me are

 also

detained my wife and three of my young children, all school-going and

 one a

special child. Such are the conditions of our detention that we cannot

 even

step  out on to the lawn for the winter sun because that space is

 occupied

by police pickets. Barbed wire barricades surround the residence and

 all

phone lines are cut. Even the water connection to my residence has been

periodically turned off. I am being persuaded to resign and to forego

 my

office, which is what I am not prepared to do.

I request you to seek first hand information of the barricades and of

 my

detention, as that of my children, from your Ambassador/High

Commissioner/representative in Pakistan. You will get a report of such

circumstances as have never prevailed even in medieval times. And these

 are

conditions put in place, in the twenty-first century, by a Government

 that

you support.

Needless to say that the Constitution of Pakistan contains no provision

 for

its suspension, and certainly not by the Chief of Army Staff. Nor can

 it be

amended except in accordance with Articles 238 and 239 which is by

Parliament and not an executive or military order. As such all actions

 taken

by General Musharraf on and after November 3 are illegal and ultra

 vires the

Constitution. That is why it is no illusion when I describe myself as

 the

Chief Justice even though I am physically and forcibly incapacitated by

 the

state apparatus under the command of the General. I am confident that

 as a

consequence of the brave and unrelenting struggle continued by the

 lawyers

and the civil society, the Constitution will prevail.

However, in the meantime, General Musharraf has launched upon a

 vigourous

initiative to defame and slander me. Failing to obtain my willing

 abdication

he has become desperate. The eight-page Document is the latest in this

feverish drive.

Before I take up the Document itself let me recall that the General

 first

ousted me from the Supreme Court on March 9 last year while filing an

indictment (in the form of a Reference under Article 209 of the

Constitution) against me. According to the General the Reference had

 been

prepared after a thorough investigation and comprehensively contained

 all

the charges against me. I had challenged that Reference and my ouster

 before

the Supreme Court. On July 20 a thirteen member Bench unanimously

 struck

down the action of the General as illegal and unconstitutional. I was

honourably reinstated.

*The Reference was thus wholly shattered and all the charges contained

therein trashed.* These cannot now be regurgitated except in contempt

 of the

Supreme Court. Any way, since the Document has been circulated by no

 less a

person than him I am constrained to submit the following for your kind

consideration in rebuttal thereof:

*The Document* is divided into several heads but the allegations

 contained

in it *can essentially be divided into two categories*: those

 allegations

that were contained in the Reference and those that were not.

Quite obviously, those that are a repeat from the Reference hold no

 water as

these have already been held by the Supreme Court to not be worth the

 ink

they were written in. In fact, the Supreme Court found that the

 evidence

submitted against me by the Government was so obviously fabricated and

incorrect, that the bench took the unprecedented step of fining the

Government Rs. 100,000 (a relatively small amount in dollar terms, but

 an

unheard of sum with respect to Court Sanction in Pakistan) for filing

clearly false and malicious documents, as well as revoking the license

 to

practice of the Advocate on Record for filing false documents. Indeed,

 faced

with the prospect of having filed clearly falsified documents against

 me,

the Government's attorneys, including the Attorney General, took a most

dishonorable but telling approach. Each one, in turn, stood before the

Supreme Court and disowned the Government's Reference, and stated they

 had

not reviewed the evidence against me before filing it with Court. They

 then

filed a formal request to the Court to withdraw the purported evidence,

 and

tendered an unconditional apology for filing such a scandalous and

 false

documents. So baseless and egregious were the claims made by General

Musharraf that on July 20th, 2007, the full Supreme Court for the first

 time

in Pakistan's history, ruled unanimously against a sitting military

 ruler

and reinstated me honorably to my post.

Despite having faced these charges in open court, must I now be

 slandered

with those same charges by General Musharraf in world capitals, while I

remain a prisoner and unable to speak in my defense?

There are, of course, a second set of charges. These were not contained

 in

the Reference and are now being bandied around by the General at every

opportunity.

I forcefully and vigorously deny every single one of them. The truth of

these "new" allegations can be judged from the fact that they all

 ostensibly

date to the period before the reference was filed against me last

 March, yet

none of them was listed in the already bogus charge sheet.

If there were any truth to these manufactured charges, the Government

 should

have included them in the reference against me. God knows they threw in

everything including the kitchen sink into that scurrilous 450 page

document, only to have it thrown out by the entire Supreme Court after

 a 3

month open trial.

The charges against me are so transparently baseless that General

Musharraf's regime has banned the discussion of my situation and the

 charges

in the broadcast media. This is because the ridiculous and flimsy

 nature of

the charges is self-evident whenever an opportunity is provided to

 actually

refute them.

Instead, the General only likes to recite his libel list from a rostrum

 or

in gathering where there is no opportunity for anyone to respond.

Incidentally, the General maligns me in the worst possible way at every

opportunity. That is the basis for the Document he has distributed. But

 he

has not just deposed me from the Judiciary. He has also fired more than

 half

of the Superior Judiciary of Pakistan – nearly 50 judges in all --

 together

with me. They have also been arrested and detained.

What are the charges against them? Why should they be fired and

 arrested if

I am the corrupt judge?  Moreover even my attorneys Aitzaz Ahsan,

  Munir

Malik, Tariq Mahmood and Ali Ahmed Kurd were also arrested on November

 3.

Malik alone has been released but only because both his kidneys

 collapsed as

a result of prison torture

Finally, as to the Document, it also contains some further allegations

described as *"Post-Reference Conduct"* that is attributed to me under

various heads. This would mean only those allegedly 'illegal' actions

claimed to have been taken by me *after* March 9, 2007. These are under

 the

heads given below and replied to as under:

   1. *"Participation in SJC (Supreme Judicial Council) Proceedings": *

*(a) Retaining 'political lawyers': Aitzaz Ahsan and Zammurrad Khan:*

It is alleged that I gave a political colour to my defence by engaging

political lawyers Aitzaz Ahsan and Zamurrad Khan both Pakistan Peoples'

Party Members of the National Assembly. The answer is simple.

I sought to engage the best legal team in the country. Mr. Ahsan is of

course an MNA (MP), but he is also the top lawyer in Pakistan. For that

reference may be made simply to the ranking of Chambers and Partners

 Global.

Such is his respect in Pakistan's legal landscape that he was elected

President of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan by one of

 the

widest margins in the Association's history.

All high profile personalities have placed their trust in his talents.

 He

has thus been the attorney for Prime Ministers Bhutto and Sharif, (even

though he was an opponent of the latter) Presidential candidate

 (against

Musharraf) Justice Wajihuddin, sports star and politician Imran Khan,

 former

Speakers, Ministers, Governors, victims of political vendetta, and also

 the

internationally acclaimed gang-rape victim Mukhtar Mai, to mention only

 a

few.

Equally important, Barrister Ahsan is a man of integrity who is known

 to

withstand all pressures and enticements. That is a crucial factor in

 enaging

an attorney when one's prosecutor is the sitting military ruler, with

enourmous monetary and coercive resources at his disposal.

Mr. Zamurrad Khan is also a recognized professional lawyer, a former

Secretary of the District Bar Rawalpindi, and was retained by Mr.

 Aitzaz

Ahsan to assist him in the case. Mr. Khan has been a leading light of

 the

Lawyers' Movement for the restoration of the deposed judiciary and has

bravely faced all threats and vilification.

Finally, surely I am entitled to my choice of lawyers and not that of

 the

General.

*(b) "Riding in Mr. Zafarullah Jamali (former Prime Minister)'s car":*

How much the Document tries to deceive is apparent from the allegation

 that

I willingly rode in Mr. Jamali's car for the first hearing of the case

against me on March 13 (as if that alone is an offence). Actually the

Government should have been ashamed of itself for creating the

 circumstances

that forced me to take that ride.

Having been stripped of official transport on the 9th March (my

 vehicles

were removed from my house by the use of fork lifters), I decided to

 walk

the one-mile to the Supreme Court. Along the way I was molested and

manhandled, my hair was pulled and neck craned in the full blaze of the

media, by a posse of policemen under the supervision of the Inspector

General of Police. (A judicial inquiry, while I was still deposed,

established this fact). In order to escape the physical assault I took

refuge with Mr. Jamali and went the rest of the journey on his car.

 Instead

of taking action against the police officials for manhandling the Chief

Justice it is complained that I was on the wrong!

*(c) "Creating a political atmosphere":*

Never did I instigate or invite any "political atmosphere". I never

addressed the press or any political rally. I kept my lips sealed even

 under

extreme provocation from the General and his ministers who were

 reviling me

on a daily basis. I maintained a strict judicial silence. I petitioned

 the

Supreme Court and won. That was my vindication.

   1. *"Country wide touring and Politicising the Issue":*

The Constitution guarantees to all citizens free movement throughout

Pakistan. How can this then be a complaint?

By orders dated March 9 and 15 (both of which were found to be without

lawful authority by the Court) I had been sent of "forced leave". I

 could

neither perform any judicial or administrative functions as the Chief

Justice of Pakistan. I was prevented not only from sitting in court but

 also

from access to my own chamber by the force of arms under orders of the

General. (All my papers were removed, even private documents).

The only function as 'a judge on forced leave' that I could perform was

 to

address and deliver lectures to various Bar Associations. I accepted

 their

invitations. They are peppered all over Pakistan. I had to drive to

 these

towns as all these are not linked by air. On the way the people of

 Pakistan

did, indeed, turn out in  their millions, often waiting from dawn to

 dusk or

from dusk to dawn, to greet me. But I never addressed them even when

 they

insisted that I do. I never spoke to the press. I sat quietly in my

 vehicle

without uttering a word. All this is on the record as most journeys

 were

covered by the media live and throughout.

I spoke only to deliver lectures on professional and constitutional

 issues

to the Bar Associations. Transcripts of every single one of my

 addresses are

available. Every single word uttered by me in those addresses conforms

 to

the stature, conduct and non-political nature of the office of the

 Chief

Justice. There was no politics in these whatsoever. I did not even

 mention

my present status or the controversy or the proceedings before the

 Council

or the Court, not even the Reference. Not even once.

All the persons named in the Document under this head are lawyers and

 were

members of the reception committees in various towns and Bar

 Associations.

   1. *Political Leaders Calling on CJP residence:*

It is alleged that I received political leaders while I was deposed. It

 is

on the record of the Supreme Judicial Council itself that I was

 detained

after being deposed on March 9. The only persons allowed to meet me

 were

those cleared by the Government. One was a senior political leader.

 None

else was allowed to see me, initially not even my lawyers. How can I be

blamed for whomsoever comes to my residence?

Had I wanted to politicize the issue I would have gone to the Press or

invited the media. I did not. I had recourse to the judicial process

 for my

reinstatement and won. The General lost miserably in a fair and

 straight

contest. That is my only fault.

   1. *"Conclusion":*

Hence the conclusion drawn by the General that charges had been proved

against me 'beyond doubt' is absolutely contrary to the facts and wide

 off

the mark. It is a self-serving justification of the eminently illegal

 action

*of firing and arresting judges of superior courts* under the garb of

 an

Emergency (read Martial Law) when the Constitution was 'suspended' and

 then

'restored' later with drastic and illegal 'amendments' grafted into it.

The Constitution cannot be amended except by the two Houses of

 Parliament

and by a two-thirds majority in each House. That is the letter of the

 law.

How can one man presume or arrogate to himself that power?

Unfortunately the General is grievously economical with the truth (I

 refrain

from using the word 'lies') when he says that the charges against me

 were

'investigated and verified beyond doubt'. As explained above, these had

 in

fact been rubbished by the Full Court Bench of the Supreme Court of

 Pakistan

against which judgment the government filed no application for review.

What the General has done has serious implications for Pakistan and the

world. In squashing the judiciary for his own personal advantage and

 nothing

else he has usurped the space of civil and civilized society. If

 civilized

norms of justice will not be allowed to operate then that space will,

inevitably, be occupied by those who believe in more brutal and instant

justice: the extremists in the wings. Those are the very elements the

 world

seems to be pitted against. Those are the very elements the actions of

 the

General are making way for.

Some western governments are emphasizing the unfolding of the

 democratic

process in Pakistan. That is welcome, if it will be fair. But, and in

 any

case, can there be democracy if there is no independent judiciary?

Remember, independent judges and judicial processes preceded full

 franchise

by several hundred years. Moreover, which judge in Pakistan today can

 be

independent who has before his eyes the fate and example of his own

 Chief

Justice: detained for three months along with his young children. What

 is

the children's crime, after all?

There can be no democracy without an independent judiciary, and there

 can be

no independent judge in Pakistan until the action of November 3 is

 reversed.

Whatever the will of some desperate men the struggle of the valiant

 lawyers

and civil society of Pakistan will bear fruit. They are not giving up.

Let me also assure you that I would not have written this letter

 without the

General's unbecoming onslaught. That has compelled me to clarify

 although,

as my past will testify, I am not given into entering into public, even

private, disputes. But the allegations against me have been so wild, so

wrong and so contrary to judicial record, that I have been left with no

option but to put the record straight. After all, a prisoner must also

 have his say. And if the General's hand-picked judges, some living next door to my prison home, have not had the courage to invoke the power of 'habeas corpus' these last three months, what other option do I have? Many leaders of the world and the media may choose to brush the situation under the carpet out of love of the General. But that will not be.

Nevertheless, let me also reassure you that I continue in my resolve

 not to preside any Bench which will be seized of matters pertaining to the personal interests of General Musharraf after the restoration of the Constitution and the judges, which, God willing, will be soon.

Finally, I leave you with the question: Is there a precedent in

 history, all history, of 60 judges, including three Chief Justices (of the Supreme Court and two of Pakistan's four High Courts), being dismissed, arrested and detained at the whim of one man? I have failed to discover any such even in medieval times under any emperor, king, or sultan, or even when a dictator has had full military sway over any country in more recent times. But this incredible outrage has happened in the 21st century at the hands of an extremist General out on a 'charm offensive' of western capitals and one whom the west supports.

I am grateful for your attention. I have no other purpose than to clear

 My name and to save the country (and perhaps others as well) from the

 calamity that stares us in the face. We can still rescue it from all kinds of extremism: praetorian and dogmatic. After all, the edifice of an  independent judicial system alone stands  on the middle ground between these two  extremes. If the edifice is destroyed by the one, the ground may be taken over by the other. That is what is happening in Pakistan. Practitioners of rough and brutal justice will be welcomed in spaces from where the practitioners of more refined norms of justice and balance have been made to abdicate.

I have enormous faith that the Constitution and justice will soon

 prevail.

Yours truly,

Iftikhar Mohammad Choudhry,

Chief Justice of Pakistan,

Presently:

imprisoned in the Chief Justice's House,

Islamabad.