German Parliamentarian supports justice Iftikhar

German member of Parliament Mrs. Ute Koczy issues a statement to support the lawyers movement after meeting with Shahid Riaz Gondal, president of Pak-German Council for culture and Democracy.

Original Youtube message, please click here

Statement in solidarity with Pakistani lawyers movement as a Member of the Committee on Economic Development and Cooperation in the German Federal Parliament I am especially interested in Pakistan. Together with other Members of Parliament I visited Pakistan in October 2008 and I was deeply impressed by the beauty and the hospitality of the country. We met with representatives of the Pakistani government, parliament, as well as nongovernmental organisations.

Pakistan is an important regional power. Instability in Pakistan means instability in the whole region. Instability in the region leads to instability worldwide. That is why the European Union and Germany cannot stand aside but have to support stability, peace and the rule of law in the region and Pakistan.
Furthermore, without democracy stability is unlikely. Under its new President Asif Ali Zardari Pakistan has the chance for a democratic new beginning. I urge the political leaders of Pakistan to support this democratic new start.

Pakistan’s problems, such as the treat of religious and political extremism, can only be overcome through a long process of democratic development. This process cannot be successful without a strong and vibrant civil society. The lawyers’ movement has shown that such a civil society exists in Pakistan. These brave people are real patriots of their country. They have contributed significantly to the current democratic new beginning.
Therefore, I ask the Pakistani government to support the lawyers’ movement and to abolish all political verdicts against activists of the movement. All judges must be allowed to return to their former positions. This includes first of all Chief Justice Mr. Chaudhry.
I want to express our respect and solidarity to all the many people in Pakistan who engage in advancing the rule of law and human rights. We strongly encourage them to continue with their highly important efforts.”