Islamabad: I.A Rehman, Asma Jahangir and others (ENN File photo)
Islamabad (ENN) Civil Society representatives have demanded to form a parliamentary committee on Faizabad Sit-in to probe how those people came over there, who funded them, how police action was foiled, who and how 1000 rupees each were given to protesters and, the role of guaranteers in the agreement.
While making this demand the spokesperson of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and the former president of Supreme Court Bar Association Asma Jahangir here on Saturday at a local hotel of Islamabad, further demanded Senate Chairman and the National Assembly Speaker to form such committee with clear terms of references to ascertain the questions raised by the civil society.
Ms. Jahangir said courts should give their verdicts on the legal basis but unfortunately “balancing acts” are being committed by court which is un-acceptable.
“Freedom of expression, rights of religious minorities and the civil liberties were on the stake and the encroachment on civil power was increasing day by day with speed which is alarming for concerned citizens of the country” she added.
Ms. Jahangir said government is being run from “Head Quarters” including political issues like Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and others are being led by military instead of political government and, political leadership has miserable failed to ascertain the civil supremacy.
Veteran writer and former head of the HRCP I. A. Rehman said all reports including En-forced disappearances, Kargil and others should be made public. He said we are not here to criticize political parties or politicians but they should play their required role for the democracy and the rights of the people.
He told that the number of enforced disappearances has reached around 1489 and the National Commission of Human Rights and the Commission on un-volunteer disappearances was not so effective due to certain limitations and lack of the resources.
Mr Rehman said complaints of forced disappearances initially were brought in our notice from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but now it has started coming from Sindh and Punjab as well, which is alarming and no institution is ready to accept the responsibility.
They further added that charter of demand by citizens will be prepared soon on the ongoing crises in Pakistan and civil society wont left any stone un-turned for public supremacy and civil society had challenged dictators like Zia and others, so we will citizens to come to resist attempts of encroaching civil liberties.
The press conference was addressed and attended by Asad Iqbal Butt, Ghazi Salahuddin, Nasreen Azhar, Sher Muhammad, Uzma Noorani, Tahir Advocate and others.
