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Pakistan's Enduring Strife Echoes in San Francisco

by Robert B. Livingston (gruaudemais [at] yahoo.com)
As enduring strife in Pakistan reaches ever more critical proportions, supporters of democratic reform in that country protested at Union Square in San Francisco today. Their purpose was to inform public opinion and to put pressure on international political leaders to censure Pakistan's military leader Perez Musharraf and to allow the country to have a real democracy.
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San Francisco
November 25, 2007

In view of hundreds of shoppers taking advantage of after-Thanksgiving sales, about two dozen supporters of former Prime Ministers of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, protested at Union Square yesterday afternoon.

On park steps facing Neiman Marcus and Macy's department stores, they unfurled a banner with a picture of a nuclear bomb, waved Pakistani flags and protest signs-- and shouted: "No Musharraf No!"

They were referring of course to General Pervez Musharraf, the dictator who has ruled Pakistan since 1999 and who appointed himself president of the country in 2001.

Despite increasing doubts in Washington about his reliability as an ally of George W. Bush and his international "War on Terror"-- Musharraf and his regime have been the recipient (with Congressional support) of over 11 billion dollars (about half used to pay debts and half for military aid) since September 11, 2001.

Pakistan, the sixth most populous country in the world has the second largest Muslim population in the world-- and it has nuclear weapons aimed at its neighbor, India. (Interestingly, Musharaff signed a trade deal today with Chinese President Hu Jintao which would "boost defense, energy and trade ties. Nuclear energy cooperation was the key component of their talks." http://tinyurl.com/2y77mu)

Without doubt, rapidly unfolding events and long-time jarring factions in Pakistan present many puzzles to observers worldwide. Will Benazir Bhutto or Nawaz Sharif make a deal to share power with Musharrif (Bhutto has suggested the possibility, Sharif has said "No.")? What influence will the United States and the international community exert? (Bush recently sent John Negroponte to pressure Musharraf to release political prisoners. Britain's 53 nation Commonwealth has suspended Pakistan from its membership.)

United by their dislike of Musharraf-- the protesters at Union Square voiced their hope for a radical change-- almost a miraculous change-- in Pakistan's direction. They declared their support of a ten-point resolution adopted by representatives of the PPP in California, stated thus:

1) WE WANT REAL DEMOCRACY NO DICTATORSHIP
2) NO MUSHARRAF NO
3) MUSHARRAF MUST RESIGN
4) RESTORE 1973 CONSTITUTION
5) RE-INSTATE JUDICIARY
6) LIFT BAN ON GEO TV
7) FREE ALL POLITICAL LEADERS AND WORKERS
8) ESTABLISH AN INDEPENDENT ELECTION COMMISSION
9) ARMY MUST GO BACK TO BARRACKS
10) WE WANT TO END THE EMERGENCY

Said one protester, K. B. Bhutto (a cousin of Benazir Bhutto), when asked what advice he would give George W, Bush with regard to Pakistan, he said: "I want democracy... real democracy all over the world! I request that Bush support Democracy... not Dictatorship!"

Links for more information:

Pakistan Sinks Deeper Into the Night by Tariq Ali
http://www.counterpunch.org/tariq11042007.html

Pakistan article in the Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan

Pervez Musharraf article in the Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pervez_Musharraf

Benazir Bhutto article in the Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benazir_Bhutto

Nawaz Sharif article in the Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nawaz_Sharif

Pakistan Peoples Party in California
http://pppcalifornia.org/index.html

Pakistan Muslim League
http://www.pmln.org.pk/

Missing in Pakistan (an excellent 30 minute film which looks at human rights abuses in Pakistan)
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/11/24/18463280.php

Recent Developments in Pakistan
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/newsroom/blog/#nov2307pak
http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=1&newsid=111216

A Terse Statement from a true believer in the War on Terrorism
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/11-05-2007/0004697987&EDATE=

The truth of Washington's bi-partisan interests
http://www.topix.com/us-senate/john-kerry/2007/11/lawmakers-question-us-aid-to-pakistan

Please address comments and corrections to this story below in the comment section.
§Protesters with flags walking to the protest
by Robert B. Livingston
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§Protesters at Union Square
by Robert B. Livingston
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§No Musharraf No!
by Robert B. Livingston
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A protester calls out the ten points from the PPP's resolutions.
§Short mp3 recording of protesters calling out
by Robert B. Livingston
Listen now:
Copy the code below to embed this audio into a web page:
§Activists for a democratic Pakistan
by Robert B. Livingston
5.png
§Some of the women protesters
by Robert B. Livingston
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§Ahmad Hussain Shah holds up a portrait of Nawaz Sharif
by Robert B. Livingston
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It is thought that 3,000 supporters have been arrested in Pakistan this morning in anticipation of Nawaz Sharif's imminent return to Pakistan. http://tinyurl.com/2yy4fe
§Short explanation of protest
by Robert B. Livingston
Copy the code below to embed this movie into a web page:
This is a 15 second video of Mr. Ahmad Hussain Shah explaining why the protesters had assembled today.
§A Supporter of Benazir Bhutto
by Robert B. Livingston
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Reported by Reuters:
General Musharraf, hoping Benazir Bhutto might become a post-election ally, allowed her back [in Pakistan] a month ago, shielded from prosecution in old graft cases she says were politically motivated.
She turned increasingly confrontational after a suicide attack on her homecoming parade which killed at least 139 people.
http://tinyurl.com/25ldgc
§Protesting crackdown on the media
by Robert B. Livingston
Copy the code below to embed this movie into a web page:
In this 15 second video clip, the protesters call out for an unfettered media. They specifically mention Pakistan's GEO TV, which was shut down by Musharraf. To learn more go to:
http://tinyurl.com/2klhbu
§Musharraf Must Resign!
by Robert B. Livingston
Copy the code below to embed this movie into a web page:
(15 second video clip)
§Democracy Not Dictatorship!
by Robert B. Livingston
Copy the code below to embed this movie into a web page:
(15 second video clip)
§A correction
by Robert B. Livingston (gruaudemais [at] yahoo.com)
It is important to note, that Pakistan points nuclear weapons at India because India points nuclear weapons at it.

Both countries have had longstanding disagreements and tensions which have been exacerbated by the years of the Cold War between the United States and the former Soviet Union-- and now fester in various degrees while the United States is pursuing its "War on Terror".

Eric Margolis has a very informative book that looks at tensions in this part of the world: War at the Top of the World: The Struggle for Afghanistan, Kashmir and Tibet.
Add Your Comments
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TITLE
AUTHOR
DATE
Dr. Ahmad Faruqui (excerpt and link)
Sat, Dec 22, 2007 11:30AM
Update
Tue, Nov 27, 2007 6:00PM
Update
Sun, Nov 25, 2007 1:16PM
Robert B. Livingston
Sun, Nov 25, 2007 11:48AM
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