Lal Masjid Massacre

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PAKISTAN-USA FREEDOM FORUM
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Lal Masjid Massacre and Reaction of Pakistani Community in USA, July 2007

We, the Pakistan-American community in the USA, express our deep grief for the loss of life of the innocent people who died in the Lal Masjid in Islamabad in July of 2007. The Pakistani government greatly overreacted to a situation that could have been resolved peacefully if the Army Dictator Pervez Musharraf had desired to. The massacre shows that the Pakistani people love democracy and hate the dictatorship and outside intervention, and do not want to see such an incident ever happening again. We are also concerned for the victims of the recent floods in Pakistan. The government has been more concerned with fighting against the people than in helping the survivors. The Pakistan USA Freedom Forum, therefore, hereby resolves that:

1. There should be a national commission, including members of both the government and the opposition, that should have all necessary power to completely investigate the truth about the massacre at Lal Masjid, including the kinds of gas and other lethal weapons that were used against innocent people. It should also have all power to investigate any outside pressure to carry out the attack, and make those responsible answer before a court of law.
2. Musharraf is using a double standard in claiming that the people in the Lal Masjid “took matters into their own hands,” because this is exactly what Musharraf did when carrying out the attack on the Lal Masjid.
3. The country is not being run by the people but by Musharraf and the 16 Army generals.
4. The Musharraf regime has violated the civil rights of the people of Pakistan, including violation of the freedom of the press and ignoring the Constitution of Pakistan.
5. Musharraf’s dictatorship has for years been making people in the country disappear, and has been lying to the courts about these disappearances. We call on the government to release all political prisoners, labor and student leaders, including Member of the National Assembly Javed Hashmi.
6. The actions of Musharraf have led to unrest and produced insecure conditions for the people of the country and along the borders.
7. All these actions have led to a decline in the respect for the Army and to a crisis in the federal system.
8. The people of Pakistan love democracy in the same way as the people of the USA do. Those politicians in self-imposed exile can show their selflessness by returning to join the struggle for democracy without seeking any office.
9. General Musharraf must resign and appoint an interim government, which must hold transparent and fair elections under an independent and impartial Election Commission.

This Resolution as amended was passed (thanks to the heroic media of Pakistan) in a public meeting of the Pakistan-USA Freedom Forum held on July 15, 2007 at the Pakiza Restaurant, Brooklyn, NY, USA.

Dr. Muhammad Shafique Mr. Shahid Comrade
President General Secretary
(917) 280-0840