Nasor Gondal
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Trampling of Constitution and Justice in Pakistan
18th Nov 2007: The seminar on the present crisis in Pakistan was held at Ziafat Hall on Coney Island Avenue in the Little Pakistan section of Brooklyn on Sunday 18th, 2007 from 1 to 5 PM. It was hosted by Doctors for Democracy and Justice, a Pakistani American Physicians group in collaboration with Coney Island Avenue Project. Upward of hundred members of Pakistani community attended the seminar.
Dr Faheem Butt was the emcee. Dr Abdul Majeed welcomed the audience and gave introduction of Doctors for Democracy and Justice.
Speakers included Ali Ahsan Esq, Attorney at Law, Son of Atizaz Ahsan, Manzur Ejaz, Washington based free lance Journalist, Rana Ramzan, Pakistani American Advocates for Civil and Human Rights (PAACHR), Ahsanullah Khan (Bobby) of Coney Island Avenue Project, Bazah Roohi of Asian-American Network against Abuse of Human Rights (ANAA), Dr Mohammad Naqi of Association of Pakistani Physicians for Democracy and Justice (APPJD), and Shahid Comrade of Pak-American Freedom Forum.
Mazhar Abbas, Secretary-General of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists was the keynote speaker and received standing ovation. He described in detail the long history of Pakistani journalists' struggle.
Justice (Rtd) Wajih-ud-Din Ahmed, addressed the gathering through special telephone arrangement from Karachi. He eloquently highlighted the historic perspective of the current judiccial and politcal crisis.
Hassan Abbas, Boston based political analyst could not join due do a family emergency.
Folk poet Bashir Khokhar read his latest fiery poem Emergency Na Manzoor.
Speakers of behalf of political parties included Rohail Dar (PML-N), Khalid Awan and Sarwar Chaudhry (PPP), Afsar Ali (ANP) Shamsuz Zaman (MMA), and Sheik Elahi (Tehrike Insaaf)
There was a Q & A session in the end.
In the end Dr Qazi Kamal Haider presented a resolution. It called for the immediate lifting of Emergency, restoration of the Supreme court under the leadership of Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, Military to go back to the barracks, opening up of the private channels and free and fair elections.
Event was attended by media representatives of Dawn, Jung, Geo VOA, BBC and the NY Pakistani media including Sadae Pakistan, Pakistan Post, News Pakistan, Urdu Times, Ravi and Pakistan Express.
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