Women’s Action Forum condemns murder
National issues being overshadowed by hate campaign, says forum.
LAHORE:
Women’s Action Forum (WAF), on Sunday, strongly condemned the brutal murder of the Punjab Governor, Salmaan Taseer. Taseer’s principled stand, it said, for justice was deliberately and maliciously distorted by the extremist elements in pursuit of their own political ends.
The murder … is part of a strategy adopted since the time of General Ziaul Haq to misuse religion in order to undermine democratic dialogue.
There must be a strong and effective law in the country to hold accountable elements that are deliberately provoking and inciting violence in the name of religion.
This is critical for safeguarding the life and security of the people, the press release said.
WAF said the political forces must play their role and stop shirking their duties. They must steer the country on a path of sanity.
No nation, it pointed out, can survive in an environment where debate, discussion and dialogue are not possible because of fear and where intimidation is used as a political tool for furthering interests harmful to the country.
The real issues today, it reminded, are economic stability, peace, security and the well-being of the people.
These are being overshadowed, however, by campaigns of hatred which are pitting citizens against one another.
The media, the Forum statement, concluded, had a great responsibility to encourage freedom of expression and public debate.
At the same time, they must restrain from misinforming and misleading the public.
We appeal to the Pakistani nation to shun destructive forces that use religion to further lower the potential for peace and prosperity.
Press release
Published in The Express Tribune, January 10th, 2011.
Women’s Action Forum (WAF), on Sunday, strongly condemned the brutal murder of the Punjab Governor, Salmaan Taseer. Taseer’s principled stand, it said, for justice was deliberately and maliciously distorted by the extremist elements in pursuit of their own political ends.
The murder … is part of a strategy adopted since the time of General Ziaul Haq to misuse religion in order to undermine democratic dialogue.
There must be a strong and effective law in the country to hold accountable elements that are deliberately provoking and inciting violence in the name of religion.
This is critical for safeguarding the life and security of the people, the press release said.
WAF said the political forces must play their role and stop shirking their duties. They must steer the country on a path of sanity.
No nation, it pointed out, can survive in an environment where debate, discussion and dialogue are not possible because of fear and where intimidation is used as a political tool for furthering interests harmful to the country.
The real issues today, it reminded, are economic stability, peace, security and the well-being of the people.
These are being overshadowed, however, by campaigns of hatred which are pitting citizens against one another.
The media, the Forum statement, concluded, had a great responsibility to encourage freedom of expression and public debate.
At the same time, they must restrain from misinforming and misleading the public.
We appeal to the Pakistani nation to shun destructive forces that use religion to further lower the potential for peace and prosperity.
Press release
Published in The Express Tribune, January 10th, 2011.