Tag: aitzaz ahsan (last 300)
Ahsan says restore judges first
(NYT) Aitzaz Ahsan: If the judges had been restored, Musharraf would not have to be impeached; and if he wins, he’ll be more solidly entrenched than ever.
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(WaPo) Sharif retained Aitzaz Ahsan after jailing him. ‘That to me was a great privilege, to have your opponent entrust his liberty in your hands.’ He doesn’t want to be Gandhi or MLK: ‘Their nonviolent marches led to violent ends. They were both killed.’
Aitzaz Ahsan on Charlie Rose
(Charlierose) Aitzaz Ahsan on Charlie Rose, June 30. With David Rohde and Mark Mazzetti, the NYT reporters who wrote the ‘Qaeda Grows in Pakistan’ story NYT same day. Ahsan is extremely articulate, and thoroughly persuasive. Second half is Salman Rushdie on EoF.
40,000 rally at night for rule of law in Pakistan
(NYT) At the end of the ‘long march,’ 40K protesters, many lawyers and women, converged on the main boulevard of Islamabad at night, rejecting food sent by Asif Zardari and demanding judge restoration.
Pakistani lawyers back to streets
(Time) Aitzaz Ahsan, Iftikhar Chaudhry and Pakistani lawyers set off on a ‘long march’ from Multan to Islamabad Tuesday to pressure the new gov’t to restore the judges. Crowds showered them with rose petals.
Long, fascinating NYT Mag profile on Aitzaz Ahsan
(NYT) Aitzaz Ahsan, the lawyer with perfect silver hair, is agitating against the elected Pakistan gov’t and his own PPP for judge restoration. The U.S. ambassador suggested bribing Iftikhar Chaudhry with an int’l position to leave Pakistan.
Musharraf says he’s not leaving
(NYT) Aitzaz Ahsan threatened to surround Army House with lawyers, Zardari said Musharraf should be exiled, Sharif said impeach him, Kayani removed the chief of the ‘coup brigade.’ But Musharraf said he’s staying put.
Pakistani lawyers tear Negroponte a new one
(NYT) U.S. diplomat John Negroponte was upbraided by Pakistani lawyers furious that Dubya doesn’t support restoring judges. ‘How is Pakistan different from Honduras?’ they needled, re: Negroponte’s history of Central American meddling.
Black flags and rose petals
(NYT) The warmth of the reception for Aitzaz Ahsan and his rallying cry for Iftikhar Chaudhry was evident in Rawalpindi. Shoppers and storekeepers smiled, shook his hand and showered him with pink rose petals.
Black flag week
(Vid) Aitzaz Ahsan calls for Pakistanis to put up black flags and stickers and wear black armbands next week to protest the continuing house arrest of Supreme Court chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry. (thanks, AK)
Musharraf ‘most hated man in Pakistan’
(ToI) Aitzaz Ahsan: Americans are trying to micromanage Pakistan. The people have given a verdict, it should be respected... India doesn’t need judicial activism. It has 60 years of democratic experience. But Pakistan needs it.
Aitzaz Ahsan warns Cheney
(WaPo) Ahsan: The West must see how singularly unpopular Musharraf is. If they try to hold on to him, they will be swimming against the tide. The real weapon against terrorism is an empowered people with enforceable rights.
The warrior-barrister
(Time) Aitzaz Ahsan’s mother was a British political prisoner in ’46. As a toddler, he would join in the call-and-response: ‘Khizr wazirat — todo!’ (Break Khizr’s rule!) He’s still jailed and chanting protest slogans. Some see him as PM material. (ht: AK)