PPP expresses concern about curb on civil rights

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Sunday expressed its concern over the arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings and curb on civil rights and on freedom of expression and association.

“The PPP is extremely concerned over the arbitrary arrests, extra judicial killings, curbs on civil rights and on freedom of expression and association under the watch of selected Prime Minister Imran Khan and his ‘Gestapo police,’” said PPP Information Secretary Dr Nafisa Shah in a statement on Sunday.

Dr Nafisa Shah said far from police reforms, Naya Pakistan’s Niazi rule is fast turning Pakistan into a police state and Sahiwal incident is an example where police kills and captures with impunity.

“The random arrests of politicians, including the leader of opposition, and placing of 172 persons on the ECL in Sindh, arresting hundreds of officers in Sindh and Punjab by NAB, disallowing former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gillani from travelling all indicate that the Puppet regime is either helpless or unwilling or collusive in turning Pakistan into a state where a campaign of witch-hunting has been unleashed on citizens, including the opposition, the civil society, bureaucracy and political activists,” she said.

“This coupled with gags on the media has made us into a veritable Orwellian society. The continued persecution of activists of sub-national movements like the Pushtoon Tahafuz Movement, the Jiye Sindh and Baloch movements, the mysterious killings and disappearances of activists and supporters of these organisations show that democracy is being replaced by an unstated autocratic rule aka 'Niazi rule',” she added.

Dr Nafisa Shah said the arrests of social activists like Gulalai Ismail and academics Amaar Jan for mere protests are glaring examples of this Rule. “The Human Rights Ministry led by an otherwise vocal Minister Shireen Mazari has become a farce and has been unable or has been part of the system that allows ECLs, arrests, extralegal acts to carry on with impunity,” she said adding that “In this creepy Naya Pakistan, voices like Asma Jehangir are missed.’’

The PPP calls upon Parliament in Pakistan to play its role in fighting against the authoritarian ‘Niazicracy’ in Pakistan that has forced a dark rule where open and free expression and association are curbed. “The PPP also expects that the judiciary will step in to protect the fundamental rights of citizens as enshrined in the Constitution,” she said.