We find this announcement retrogressive, repressive, arbitrary and violative.
LAHORE: The announcement made by Interior Minister Rehman Malik on the floor of the National Assembly, to the effect that artists travelling abroad would be required to obtain a ‘no-objection certificate’ (NOC) from the government, comes as a huge disappointment to all those who are fighting for a liberal and democratic Pakistan. Indeed, it takes us right back to the Zia era (hardly remembered for rule of law and constitutional protections) when such NOCs were the norm. It is disappointing that the PPP government should be involved in placing such a regulation.
We find this announcement retrogressive, repressive, arbitrary and violative of our fundamental rights as guaranteed by the Constitution. The government has no right to restrict movement of persons who are not even employed by it. The declaration clearly lacks any rationale and is patently mala fide. We will therefore defy it, in the manner we would any order that lacks a legal and/or rational basis. We also reserve the right to agitate this matter directly before the honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan, for enforcement of our fundamental rights.
Madeeha Gauhar, Usman Peerzada and Samina Ahmed
Published in The Express Tribune, February 27th, 2011.
