Nepalis protest arrest of Shikarpuri Sindhis on Sedition charges

[Gul Agha <agha@CS.UIUC.EDU>]

Recall that Shikarpuris had been agitating against targetting of the
Sindhi Hindu minority by criminals in apparent connivance of the
Pakistani authorities.  50 Shikarpuris have been charged with
sedition (see earlier posting on sindh-l).

http://news.newkerala.com/india-news/?action=fullnews&id=40490

Musharraf urged to respect freedom of expression:

[World News]: Kathmandu, Nov 2 : A Nepalese human rights activist has
urged Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to respect freedom of
expression and to free a group of fellow activists charged with
sedition.

Jai Kishor Labh, vice-chairman of Human Rights and Social Concern
Centre, a rights organisation in Dhanusha district in southern Nepal,
sent the appeals to Musharraf as well as to Syed Sultan Shah,
Pakistan's joint secretary for Law, Justice and Human Rights,
Ishrat-ul-Ibad Khan, the governor of Sindh province, and senior police
officials in Pakistan.

The Nepalese activist said in his letter that about 50 civil activists
had been charged with sedition after they held a protest at Lakhi Gate
Tower Chowk in Shikarpur district in Sindh Oct 17.

The protesters, Labh said, were merely expressing concern over the
"rapidly growing criminal activities in the area" and asking the
district and provincial authorities to take appropriate action.

But police charged them with "inciting people against the provincial
and district administration and spreading hatred against the
government", Labh said.

Calling the police action a clear violation of Pakistan's
constitutional as well as international laws, Labh said if the
detainees were convicted of treason, it would "legitimate the use of
the judicial system in Pakistan as a means to silence public dissent
and further intimidate Pakistan's civil sector.

"The government of Pakistan must stop using sedition charges as a
legal weapon to deny people of their rights," Labh said.

He has also appealed to rights organisations in Nepal, Amnesty
International and other rights bodies to petition the Pakistani
president and officials for the release of the detainees.

--Indo-Asian News Service