Bush Urged to Press Musharraf on Human Rights Friday
So when Bush meets with Pakistan's general-cum-president Pervez Musharraf Friday, many believe he will not press his counterpart very hard on difficult issues of human rights and democracy in his own country, though that's exactly what international humanitarian groups would have him do. The UK-based ActionAid wants Bush to urge Musharraf to stand strongly for women's rights, particularly by working to repeal the so-called Hudood Ordinances, a form of strict Islamic law that penalizes rape victims.
The New York-based group Human Rights Watch expressed strong opposition Wednesday to something else Musharraf has not done: step down. The country's constitution states that the chief of the army cannot hold political office. Musharraf pledged in 2003--four years after seizing power in a military coup--to step down either as president or as army chief, but he reneged a year later and has not adequately addressed the issue since, the rights watchdog group said. "If Bush is serious about fostering democracy in the Muslim world, how can he support Musharraf's refusal to end military rule in Pakistan?" said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. The group also said Bush should stop turning a blind eye to Musharraf's use of torture and "disappearances" in the fight against terrorism and in Pakistan's political conflicts. The two leaders are scheduled to meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings taking place in New York this week. ----------------------------------- For more background on Pakistan, see OneWorld's Country Guide. For more on human rights concerns in Pakistan, see Amnesty International's page on the country. |
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