You have to stand guard over the development and maintenance of democracy, social justice and the equality of mankind in your own native soil. [Mohammed Ali Jinnah]

Friday, February 1, 2008

Pakistan backed by West despite rights abuses: HRW

NEW YORK, Jan 31 (AFP): Western powers have ignored undemocratic acts and rights abuses by Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf's government because of its support for the “war on terror,” Human Rights Watch said Thursday. The group said in its annual report that Musharraf imposed an emergency in November to head off a Supreme Court ruling on the legality of his re-election and crack down on a movement for judicial independence. Thousands of lawyers and political opponents were arbitrarily detained in 2007, most of the country's senior judges sacked and harsh curbs imposed on the media, it said. “The US, UK, and EU all issued statements urging Musharraf to end the state of emergency, release those arrested, and hold free and fair elections. However, their actions did not match their words,” the HRW report said.

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