Karachi unrest: Don’t deploy army, says Asma
A military operation in Karachi is not the right way to restore peace, Asma Jahangir, the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president, said on Tuesday.
She told a press conference on Tuesday that if the police and rangers were backed, the law and order situation in the city could be controlled.
She said that if army was called, the jurisdiction of courts would be compromised and fundamental rights of citizens would be lost. She said summoning the army was not a solution to the problem.
She alleged that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and other political parties were behind Karachi’s violence. She urged leaders of all parties to visit Karachi and find a solution to the problem together. She said instead of encouraging divisions on the basis of language, politicians should work to end hatred.
She said politicians demanding a military operation in Karachi should not forget that by doing so military-courts will be established in Hyderabad. She said the legal fraternity will oppose such a development.
She condemned the demands by various quarters for deployment of army in Karachi saying, “Has the military operation been successful in restoring peace in Balochistan?”
She clarified media reports about her earlier statement at the Sindh High Court Bar saying that she had not talked about a long march.
She said that a Centre of Excellence for lawyers will be built in Islamabad at an estimated cost of Rs2 billion. A meeting of the Supreme Court Bar Association’s executive committee had been convened to invite tenders for this, she said.
She said that the SCBA will host a conference, Justice for All, Imparity for None, in Lahore on September 9-11. The chief justice of Pakistan will be the chief guest, she said.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 24th, 2011.
COMMENTS (7)
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Read my lips: People are dying, slaughtered and tortured. There is a genocide going on - the criminals can go into hiding, take a break and the come out again and again with a fresh killing spree. These criminals are turning Karachi into the killing fields. It is the people,s right to demand protection of their lives and only Army can provide that with honesty and without any games. The people will welcome the Army with open arms!!!
Is this woman for real?
Fundamental right...right to life, liberty and freedom...protection of Life...trumps all others first. Hard to believe she could lead the human rights group in the past!
WOW
I'm learning why the poor Pakistani citizens have so little chance with these leaders and I use the term leaders very loosely.
Maybe Pakistan needs fresh blood ...possibly expat technocrats and intellectuals from outside the country to clean up this mess. Leaders like Asma make you think...we can't go any lower.
My two cents
??????
Talking to media in Lahore High Court he said that the demand of calling the army in Karachi is a constitutional demand so government should not worry about the matter.
The abovewritten starement recently published in the media and require your due consideration,it is the view of seniour advocate of the supreme court and former president of the supreme court bar association Mr,Ahitzaz Ahsan.
On the other hand, the sitting president has the view absolutely contrary to the others.
In such circumstance,it is essential for us to make effort and bring the two presidents face to face and hear their arguements on the disputed point.
Her views has no similarity with the majority of the people living in Karachi,Pakistan as well. Parents are receiving dead bodies of their loved one. violence has spread all over the region. Police and rangers are also not safe . What kind of option in such circumstances be adopted.
Are you talking about fundamental rights,oh, should talk about human life that has preference over all.other things. Army is a last hope and can control the situation which has beyond the control of civil authority. Let them because call because it is essential and not against the constitution of the country.
"She said that if army was called, the jurisdiction of courts would be compromised and fundamental rights of citizens would be lost." What world is this woman living in?! The citizens of Karachi are asking for the most important fundamental right, which is to live! If the Army can solve that then so be it.
So far everything including fundamental rights and justice to the common man is denied - they are getting killed and no justice for them and their families. It is the peopl's demand to bring Army to Karachi as they have nothing to lose otherwise they have their lives and evrything to lose. The civil institutions are silent and hopeless, so karachi has nothing to lose . . . they have already lost a lot. The civil institutions can function in Karachi side by side with the army. Pak Army is very accomodating!!!!!!!