Meet the man who thinks child murderers should be made ministers

Take a good look at these two faces, and don’t forget them. EVER.

Asif Ali Zardari - Chief Jestler Pakistan People's Party

President Asif Ali Zardari expanded the cabinet to include 40 more ministers before leaving for Saudi Arabia. One the person who he administered oath to was Mir Israr Ullah Zehri who had recently said it was fine to bury girls alive who did not follow instructions.

This is that Mir Israr Ullah Zehri, a senator from the Baluchistan province of Pakistan. Make sure he is never around your mothers, daughters, sisters, wife or any female member of your family.

Israr Ullah Zehri, Senator from Baluchistan

Six weeks back, three girls (teenagers, age 16-18) and two older women were abducted by men from the Umrani tribe. They were shot first, and while injured, thrown into a pit and buried alive. Their crime? Wishing to choose the men they would get married to. The two elder women were their mothers, killed possibly because they were sympathetic to the girls’ wishes. Their bodies were found half-eaten by animals.

It became a scandal, the Asian Human Rights Commission confirmed the inhuman murders, and when a woman senator Bibi Yasmin Shah raised it in Pakistan’s parliament, Mir Israr Ullah Zehri stood up.

This is what he said:

“These are centuries-old traditions, and I will continue to defend them.”

“Only those who indulge in immoral acts should be afraid.”

Mir Israr Ullah Zehri told the stunned Pakistan parliament on Friday that such Baluch tribal traditions helped stop obscenity. He demanded that other legislators should not make a big issue out of it.

How did the Upper House (Senate) react to this outrageous observation?

With silence. Only three other senators supported Bibi Yasmin Shah, the rest kept quiet.

How did Asif Ali Zardari react to this? He appointed Zehri a minister in his next cabinet expansion.

Of course the whole media will remain silent on this as they have been bought by the PPP.

Moral of the story: Burying women will get you a ministry from Zardari !

Links

News Item from The News confirming Zehri's appointment

The page of Mir Israr Ullah Zehri from the Pakistan Senate website

News from The Nation, Pakistan

Globe and Mail

Honor killings in Pakistan

Dance with Shadows

Pictures of Protest from London

Protest in Harvard University for restoration of the Judiciary

There are protests in Boston, New York and Washington this weekend and the following is the press release from the Boston area. Reports from other cities will follow soon. The pictures are in the file attachments.

March 15, 2007

For Immediate Release:

Cambridge, MA: Student Action Committee USA Chapter (SAC-USA) staged a successful protest in Harvard Yard today demanding immediate restoration of the pre-Nov 3 independent judiciary in Pakistan. The protestors condemned - in no uncertain terms- the unconstitutional acts of General (r) Musharraf which include the sacking of an independent judiciary, gagging of media and free speech, suspension of civil liberties and fundamental human rights and illegal detention of judges, lawyers and political opponents without any trial or charges. They chanted "Bring the Judges Back" and "No more Musharraf" and walked from John Harvard Statue to Harvard Square holding black flags and banners.

The protest - which is one of three organized by SAC-USA (the other two being in New York and Washington DC) - attracted a large number of students from Harvard College, Kennedy School of Government, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Massachussetts Institude of Technology, Tufts University, Fletcher School of Law, Boston University and other premier institutions of the Boston region. Joining students in their demands were doctors, lawyers - particularly the National Lawyers Guild, Massachusetts chapter-, professionals of Pakistani origin and other members of American Civil Society.

Speaking to the protestors, Aqil Sajjad, member of SAC-USA, condemned the illegal detention of the Chief Justice and his family. He said that the people of Pakistan want the judges to be restored and Pervez Musharraf to be ousted, the US and the international community should respect their wishes and stop interfering in Pakistan's internal affairs to keep the judges out. He also spoke against the continued detention of the judges with their families, including the Chief Justice whose 8-year old disabled son has been kept in confinement with him and at times denied the medication he needs. He argued that the US government should build a solid relationship with the people of Pakistan instead of supporting a very unpopular dictator.

President of Harvard Philipine Forum, Marlowe Rillera, stressed for the need for an independent judiciary. He said: "An independent judiciary assures people that court decisions will be based on the country's laws and constitution, not on orders of a dictator." In addition he said that while the situation in Pakistan did not affect him or the Philipines directly, he cared so strongly for an independent judiciary and the serious consequences of not having one that he came with his friends to protest.

After the protest, Samad Khurram, a columnist for The Harvard Crimson, said that Musharraf must respect the wishes of the people of Pakistan. He commented on the recent elections as being a heavy blow to Musharraf's rule with an overwhelming number voting against his King's party. "In addition there were a huge number of us who boycotted the elections on principle. If you add both the opposition voters and those who boycotted, the numbers exceed 80% of the country", he noted.

Karachi: 15-16 March >> Flag Locations & Rallies

1. FLAG LOCATIONS (list) - Karachi UPDATE !
2. 15 Mar, Sat 5pm - RALLY - Pakhtunkhwa Awami Milli Party, plus.
3. 16 Mar, Sun 3pm - KARACHI CAR RALLY – PR, KUJ, SCBA & KBA

1. FLAG LOCATIONS (Karachi)

Pakistan's civil society including trade unions, political parties and most of all lawyers are marking Black Flag Week by raising Black Flags throughout the country demanding the restoration of pre-Nov 03 Judiciary. Black Flag displays have been reported on the following public locations (list may be updated as reports come in).

Flag Locations

• Update >> Large banners at Shahrah e Faisal pedestrian crossings (from Shah Faisal Colony Gate to FTC)
• Update >> Stickers and flags at Sea View
  
• Update >> Shaheen Complex intersection
• Quaidabad – Dawood Chowrangi Market Area (Korangi)
• MA Jinnah (Bunder) Road
• Lea Market
• Saddar
• SITE - Siemens Chowrangi to Gulbai
• Bacha Khan (Banaras) Chowk
• Soharab Goth
• Tariq Road - Bahadurabad

2. RALLY - Pakhtunkhwa Awami Milli plus
15 March, Sat (TODAY) - 5 pm
Bacha Khan (Banaras) Chowk
Speeches & Flag-hoisting by parties, trade unions, civil society.

3. KARACHI CAR RALLY

16 March, Sunday - 3pm – 5pm

Rallies will START at 3pm from the following 3 points.
500 vehicles are expected to join. Please call the numbers given to coordinate.

1. Bacha Khan (Banaras) Chowk, (0322 827 3826)
2. Malir District Courts, (0300 345 5727)
3. Seaview (0345 2384010) correction !

All 3 rallies end at Quaid's Mazar at 5pm.
There will be Cars, Trucks, Buses, Rickshaws and Motorcycles at the 3 rallies.
Organized by: People's Resistance, Karachi Union of Journalists, Supreme Court Bar Association & Karachi Bar Association.

Bring your car
Bring your motorcycle
Bring your rickshaw
Bring your bus Or
Bring your truck
Wear Black Armband. Paste Stickers and
Fly a Black Flag on your vehicle.

Black Flags to be Raised at Iqbal's Tomb and Minaar-e-Pakistan

Join CCP in Raising the Black Flag

• Friday March 14, 3 pm at Allama Iqbal's Tomb (Badshahi Mosque)
  

• Saturday March 15, 4 pm at Minar-e-Pakistan
  

March 11 – Seminar > "Adlia ki Azadi - Awam ki Azadi" > Karachi

People's Resistance Seminar

‘Adlia ki Azadi - Awam ki Azadi”

4:30 pm, PMA House, Garden Road, Karachi

The issue of justice affects all of us directly. This seminar explores why all Pakistanis should care about the restoration of an independent judiciary, and includes perspectives from everyday Pakistani citizens on why an independent judiciary matters to them.

Flag-hoisting by Pakistan Medical Association

CHIEF GUEST:

Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court, Mr Justice Sabihuddin Ahmad

SPEAKERS:

Women's Issues: Ms. Nazish Brohi

Students' Issues: Mr Khurram Ali

Media Issues: Mr Ghazi Salahuddin

Privatization & Labour Issues: Nasir Mansoor, Labour Party of Pakistan

[Pictures] 9th March rally in Islamabad

[9th March rally] Imran Khan with Justice Tariq Mehmood

[9th March rally] Imran Khan with Masood Sharif Khan Khattak



[9th March rally]

[8th March Camp] Roedad Khan visiting the camp

[8th March Camp] PTI workers distributing flyers and black flags

[8th March Camp] "Men at Work"
PTI workers preparing black flags