PAL-C Meets with Imran Khan and PPP Representatives

Imran Khan calls for Independent Judiciary, Democracy; PPP demands UN Probe into Bhutto Assassination, Free and Fair Elections

Washington D.C., January 22, 24, 2008 – In separate meetings, the Pakistani American Leadership Center (PAL-C) met with Imran Khan, Chairman of Tehreek-e-Insaf (Movement for Justice) and representatives of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

Representing PAL-C, PAL-C Executive Director Mr. Taha Gaya commented on the meeting with Imran Khan, “It was really heartening to hear such a widely recognized figure in Pakistan champion human development, education, and a grassroots approach to dealing with militancy. These are the core issues that PAL-C promotes through our advocacy on the Hill and we hope that this convergence of interests will broaden into a working relationship with Imran Khan in the future.”

To hear an Audio Recording of the meeting please click here.

Imran Khan began the meeting, hosted by the Buxton Institute by speaking about his party’s overall aim of, “not just judicial justice but socioeconomic justice.”

He stated, “We wanted the resources to be diverted to human beings there. We wanted human development, we wanted education, we wanted a democratic Pakistan which we’ve never had.  We’ve had elections but we haven’t had democracy.”

“We are seeing the struggle going on between people who want change and a democratic system and on the other hand you see the powers of the status quo who are trying to stop this change from taking place. In the status quo are all those benefitting from a military dictatorship and corrupt politicians who cannot afford an independent justice system because they want to be a part of a government, because the moment they are a part of the government they have immunity from the justice system. The moment the judiciary is independent, they can be brought to justice even though they are a part of the government.” 

Imran Khan continued, “Today Pakistan has to fight terrorism for its own survival now. It’s not protecting the U.S. anymore, it is for the survival of Pakistan that we have to fight terrorism. And the way the war on terrorism has been fought has actually increased terrorism in the country rather than decreasing it. It needs a total change of strategy. And the change of strategy has to be that you need a genuine democratic government and you need to mobilize the people to exclude the terrorists.”

Finally, he concluded, “We need a democratic government to reallocate the resources again to the people and a democratic government to mobilize the people to fight terrorism and to fight it in a completely different way to the way it’s done [now]. So the multi crises Pakistan faces right now, the solution lies in a genuine democratic government. It does not lie in the U.S. backing one man, a military dictator who has lost all support in the country who has the lowest ever approval rating in the country (it’s below 10% now) the majority of people want him out.”

Meeting with the Pakistan People's Party (PPP)

Representing the PPP was (from the right) PPP Senator Dr. Javaid Laghari, PPP Central Information Secretary Ms. Sherry Rehman, and PPP Activist Ms. K. Palwasha.

PPP Central Information Secretary Ms. Sherry Rehman stated,  “Our twin objectives just now are to seek the U.N. probe after the resolution into Ms. Bhutto’s tragic assassination and we feel that a police inquiry is not enough… we feel that the Scotland Yard team has had its hands tied.”

To hear an audio recording of the PPP meeting please click here.

The Pakistani American Leadership Center (PAL-C) is a professional Pakistani-American advocacy organization with an office located on Capitol Hill. It launched the Congressional Pakistan Caucus in May 2004 and works to raise awareness about Pakistani-American interests in Washington policy circles. Our activities include facilitating the Congressional Pakistan Caucus, liaising Pakistani officials and the community with Members of Congress, and mobilizing all Pakistani-Americans at the grassroots level. If you wish to learn more about PAL-C, please visit our website www.pal-c.org or email us at info@pal-c.org.

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