Dear all,
Below is almost the finished draft of the statement of Seraiki writers, intellectuals and political activists on the tragic killing of Mohtramma Benazir Bhutto. This statement will be issued to media tomorrow. The endorsement was obtained through email or telephone. Please send you comments (if any) before 10:00 A.M.
Regards,
Mushtaq Press StatementShaheed Benazir Bhutto shall remain living in history and collective memory of the people.
In their public statement, prominent Seraiki writers, intellectuals and political activists expressed their deep grief and pain over the tragic murder of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto SBB. They said that, with a vision, she has sacrificed her life for her humane political ideals. She was well aware of acute risks to her life. However, she bravely refused to surrender and decided to wage non-violent struggle for freedom and democracy. Although her assassins have succeeded to remove her physically but they failed in undoing the mission she accomplished-the unity of the common, poor and the wretched of the earth of this country. She will stay alive in history and memory of the people.
They said Shaheed Benazir Bhutto spent her last days in Seraiki Wasiab while electioneering for her party. In her public speeches, she showed full cognizance of the separate identity of Seraiki wasaib and pledged to support Seraiki people for the attainment of their cultural, political, and economic rights. They said the recognition of Seraiki identity through constitutional means is immediately required to forge the much need unity and bring the balance of power between cultural identities.
SBB was the sole political leader in the country who was mindful of the need for reconciliation in an otherwise highly divided country. She was striving to rebuild Pakistan according to the values of democratic plurality, religious tolerance and economic justice.
They condemn the character assassination campaign by a certain section of civil society and that of academia which, apart from being based on fabricated facts and subjective interpretations, also ignores the ethics of respect for a person who is not among us.
They said they are deeply concerned about the aftermath of her tragic killing as well as mounting anarchy, failure of the state and intolerant militant extremism in Pakistan. Nonetheless, these threats can not be averted until and unless the unitary structure of state, which is built on colonial model, is not radically restructured in consonance with the aspiration of its people. The fact must be acknowledged that Pakistan is the country comprised of many national groups, languages, religious faiths and communities which are undoubted components of unity and not otherwise. It can only be held together recognizing and accepting the truth of plurality and multiplicity. The denial to this truth will never bring reconciliation and peace which was the belief of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto as well as the desire of the majority of the people living in this country including Seraikis.
Endorsed by:
Multan: Shamim Arif, Riffat Abbass, Sabir Chishti, Hassan Raza Bokhari, Ghaznfar Abbass
Bahawalpur: Jehangir Mukhlas, Riaz Sindhar, Shehzad Irfan
Rajanpur: Ashiq Buzdar, Sufi Taj Gopang, Manzoor Dareshak, Akhtar Gopang, Munawar Buzdar
Jampur: Asalam Rasoopluri, Inayatullah Musharqi, Azam Faridi, Ahmed Khan, Muhammad Ramzan Khan, Imtiaz Faridi, Nasim Fareedi, Nadeem, Malik Manzoor, Malik Rabnawaz
Layyah and Bakhar: Ashu Lal, Ustad Ijaz Bloach, Akram Mirani, Mazhar Nawaz, Sindhi Faqir, Anees Kamran Advocate, Mohammad Afzal Advocate, Malik Arshad Veha, Omar Isra, Munir Ghanni, Zaheer Khan, Mohmmed Ayaz Koko
D.G.Khan: Tariq Birmani, Fazal-e-Rab, Mahmood Nizami
Kot Addu: Zafar Lund, Shafqat Ali, Fazal Gurmani, Qaisar Khan
Dera Ismail Khan: Mazhar Tabish, Irfan Leghari
Karachi: Mushtaque Faridi, Shahid Jatoi, Saeed Khawar, Zubair Rana, Abdul Basit Lashari, Hameed Asghar, Qasim Khan Lashari, Shahab Iqbal Awaisi, Hafeezullah Chohan, Jam Shabbir, Nazir Leghari
Islamabad: Khadim Hussain, Mazhar Arif, Ahsan Wagha, Amjad Nazeer, Azhar Lashary, Mushtaq Gadi
Lahore: Irshad Amin, Irfan Hote
Note: Please contact Mazhar Nawaz (0301-3279394) for any further information

Post edited by: admin, at: 2008/01/10 22:54