The Women’s Action Forum (WAF) Lahore condemns the imposition of emergency and the promulgation of the Provisional Constitutional Order and the suspension of fundamental rights, the unlawful arrest of peaceful human rights activists and concerned citizens from the HRCP office, the arrest of journalists, the brutal attacks and arrests of hundreds of lawyers across the country who are being charged under the Anti-Terrorist Act 1997, and the blackout of TV channels.
Having imposed emergency under the pretext of dealing with armed extremists, the state has instead chosen to arrest peaceful, unarmed human rights activists and the legal fraternity. Independent-minded judges have been removed and placed under house arrest, transmissions of all independent news channels have been blacked out and journalists arrested. In sharp contrast no action has been taken against armed extremists who continue to expand their areas of control and are being offered negotiations.
Clearly the attempt is to silence all of civil society and sane voices while giving full freedom to those who have been flouting the law and challenging the writ of the state. Muzzling civil society will only serve to exacerbate the already grave situation prevailing in Pakistan.
WAF demands the immediate withdrawal of the emergency, restitution of the Constitution and full fundamental rights, the release of all those arrested and detained, and the removal of all curbs on the print and electronic media.

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