Thank you for the message of support following the arrest of Asif Zardari Sahib. Thankfully, the higher court has now suspended the order of arrest and Zardari Sahib is free.

However, that the regime could arrest Asif Sahib after only twenty eight days of freedom following eight years of arrest is a sad reflection on the lack of political freedoms and stability in our country.

The arrest of Asif Sahib shows the double standards of the regime. They permitted the religious parties to hold a public rally and meeting in Rawalpindi. They want to show the people of Pakistan and the world that the choice in Pakistan is between military dictatorship and religious dictatorship. They refused to allow the PPP welcome reception for Mr. Zardari because PPP popular support
would show that democracy is a third choice. All political parties, including the ruling Party, the MQM which is against Partition and Independence of Pakistan, are allowed to hold political meetings. It is PPP, which is being singled out for discrimination and victimisation.

The manner in which the bail of Zardari Sahib was cancelled shows how the judicial system in our country is abused. The Nazim trial case had not held one hearing for the last four years. Suddenly, and by what convenient coincidence, it woke up to the fact that it should have a hearing on the day that Zardari Sahib was leaving for the Rawalpindi reception. Zardari Sahib had applied for exemption from personal presence while his defence attorney was present. It is routine for courts to give personal exemption or to adjourn matters. However, in this case the special court cancelled bail, which is against the judicial norms and its manner was blatantly illegal. Before cancellation of bail, notice has to be given as to why bail should be cancelled. If notice had been given then Mr. Zardari would have appeared in the night flight. The regime should invite the United Nations Rapporteur on Judges and the Judiciary to inquire as to whether the bail cancellation was illegal.

The Nizam case is one why PPP is demanding a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to acknowledge victims of torture and perversion of justice. The case rests on the confession of a man who wept in court to be saved from brute physical torture but was three times handed back for more torture until he signed the false declaration prepared by the Police to stop his pain, humiliation and degradation).

This sudden hearing after four years and the cancellation of bail without notice highlights why PPP is demanding that judicial abuse stop through withdrawal of the cases. I personally saw the manipulation of the judicial process first hand between 1996 and 1999 when the courts were calibrated to keep me occupied fully from one city to another from one day to another. The purpose was to abuse the judicial process for achieving political objectives of curbing an individual's political freedom and action. This is the prime reason that I was forced to live in exile to have the freedom of movement to organise the Party with your support and keep it as the country's most potent force as well as to have the freedom of action to rebut the false accusations made as part of the character assassination campaign. As you know that despite facing charges for eight years through my defence attorneys, the only sentence against me is under the absentee law, and not on grounds of corruption. The absentee law is a special law passed to stop my contesting the October 2002 elections, and is invalid.

I f this is the treatment meted out to a former Prime Minister, one can imagine the agonies of the ordinary people and the injustices they face. Although PPP leaders have paid a heavy price for perversion of justice, including the execution of Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, people of Pakistan should not have to face injustice and cruelty and humiliation in their daily lives.

The abuse of the Judicial system highlights the need to reform our judiciary. In this connection, I have directed the Parliamentary wing of the Party to examine the recommendations of the International
Crisis Group for judicial reforms. Soon we will move a bill in Parliament to reform the judiciary and test the regime, which likes to publicly claim it is committed to moderation when the ground realities are different.

According to the press, an official said that Asif Sahib was arrested to "placate " the ruling party that did not want reconciliation in the country. When an individual is arrested to "placate" governments, then there is only mockery of democracy, the rule of law and the unjust treatment of the sons and daughters of the country. It means the end of enlightenment, freedom, tolerance and human dignity, values for which we in the PPP will continue to fight.

A special tribute must be paid to the workers of the Party and the people of Punjab who travelled from all corners of the province, as well as those from Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Frontier, who arrived in Islamabad to greet Asif Sahib. They braved imprisonment, baton charge and tear gas, they refused to allow barricades to stop them. They forced the regime to barricade the whole of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, to paralyse the city better than a strike call. The fear of the regime of the will of the people and the strength of the people was clear to the whole country. I want to salute all those who faced injuries and imprisonment. They are the true political sons and daughters of Quaid e Awam. They have shown what courage is and it is this courage that gives the country its true strength and respect. We are a proud Nation and a brave people.

The PPP and I call for the immediate release of Asif Sahib and all other political prisoners including Syed Yusuf Reza Gillani, the Vice President of the PPP, Mr. Javed Hashmi of the Pakistan Muslim League, Former Parliamentarian Bismillah Kakar and Pir Mukarram. The PPP also calls for the safe return of all exiles and an end to the one sided victimisation of unsubstantiated corruption charges which date back a decade. This is merely an excuse to divert peoples attention from the rampant corruption present today.

PPP is committed to democracy and the rule of law. Inshallah our struggle will continue and lead to success. Justice and Truth ultimately triumphs and I am confident it will triumph once again with your support, prayers and blessings.

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