Thursday, April 15, 2010

PROTEST of CIVILIAN KILLINGS - Pakistanis Lead Peace Action



"A huge blunder was made, one that has scarred the lives of dozens of families." –Photo by Reuters (Photo published with the statement in quotes - Dawn newspaper 13 April 2010)

STOP CIVILIAN KILLINGS - Karachi Press Club - 4pm 16 April 2010

PEOPLE'S RESISTANCE - PRESS RELEASE (Posted Karachi, 15 April 2010)

Protest Against Civilian Killings by Pakistan Army

Dear Friends:

More than 70 civilians had been killed in a military operation in a village of Khyber tribal agency. These were innocent people. The Army must take full responsibility for this ghastly act. We want to see officers and personnel held responsible for this in full public view.

We are outraged to see these civilian casualties from an operation of Pakistan Army. Killing innocent compatriots, women and children goes against all our values as Pakistanis and human beings.

Let us mourn the dead and join a protest led by Peoples Resistance against this in-human act at:

KARACHI PRESS CLUB
FRIDAY 16th April, 2010
4:00 p.m.

Groups joining this protest include:

Karachi Bar Association KBA,
Labour Party of Pakistan LPP,
Pakistan Tehrik e Insaaf PTI,
Workers Party Pakistan WPP,
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan HRCP,
Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum PFF
Aurat Foundation,
Roots for Equity,
Strengthening Participatory Organizations SPO,
Action for a Progessive Pakistan APP
and others.

Please invite friends to join the protest.

Article:
Khyber air strike, Dawn Editorial, 13 Apr, 2010
here
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The Peoples Resistance (PR) is a civil society organisation - a citizen's group and a loose coalition - composed of ordinary citizens, professionals, students and other human rights groups who work together for the common cause of : upholding the Constitution, restoration of Judiciary and implementing rule of Law.
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POSSIBLE CONTACTS:

Pakistan:
"abira ashfaq"
"walikhi"

Others:
Sahar Shafqat (prof in the US) - "Sahar Shafqat"
and Sophia Hasnain (in Germany) - "Sophia Hasnain"

Fahad Deshmukh who has recently quit Express News wrote the following relevant piece,
here

From one of the organizers of Friday's protest: "...even people who had previously supported the operation are now beginning to see the ugly truth of this operation that we have been shielded from by ...media interventions...we need brave reporters like (Deshmukh)...to start speaking the truth."

US, of course, takes a great deal of responsibility for use of drones, pushing certain war methods, spreading hatred and pushing "the people" toward extremists or at least toward greater and greater distrust of both US and Pakistan's military. Documented also recently: US military killing of many civilians in this region and elsewhere.

NOTE: Karachi, Pakistan is 9 hours ahead of NY (Thus at posting it is 2:30 PM EST and 10:30 PM Karachi time Thursday.)

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