A meeting of academics, and civil society and trade union activists commended the Supreme Court judgment that reinstated the National Assembly and nullified the deputy speaker’s ruling on the no-confidence move against the prime minister.
Veteran rights activists Hussain Naqi and Karamat Ali chaired the meeting that held at the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Karachi office. The participants appreciated the unanimous judgment of the Supreme Court and demand impeachment of President Arif Alvi for his role in the attempt to subvert the supremacy of the Constitution. They demand immediate constitutional and electoral reforms to make the Constitution more pro-people in order to safeguard basic fundamental rights, right to employment and social security.
The rights activists demanded an end to all types of discrimination, including those against the women, minorities and working classes. The participants including Asad Iqbal Butt of the HRCP, Dr Riaz Sheikh of the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology, Faisal Edhi of the Edhi Foundation, Dr Riaz Ahmed of the Karachi University, Zahid Farooq of the Urban Resources Centre, Nasir Mansoor of the National Trade Union Federation, Mahnaz Rahman of the Aurat Foundation, Zehra Khan of the Home-Based Working Women Federation, journalist Dr Tauseef Ahmed Khan, Qazi Khizar of the HRCP, Saeed Baloch of Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, Farhat Parveen of Now Communities and others.
They demanded an end to the campaign against freedom of expression. They also called for restoring the right to information. The participants said a law should be passed without delay to declare forced disappearances a criminal offence and all the missing persons should be recovered.
The rights activists said the only way to end the economic turmoil was reforms aimed at mitigating the sufferings of the poor, enlarging regional trade, reduction in military budget and harmonising relations with neighbouring countries.
They demanded that negotiations with the International Monetary Fund should consider the past four years’ severe impact of such policies on the poor and working classes, and all loan agreements must be approved by the people’s representatives in Parliament.
