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Review Tribunal

AUSTRALIA

RRT RESEARCH RESPONSE

Research Response Number: PAK31781 : Date: 18 May 2007

Keywords: Pakistan – – PML (N)

This response was prepared by the Country Research Section of the Refugee Review Tribunal (RRT) after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the RRT within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

1. Are there any reports of harassment of low level activists in PML(N) by , or other internal party groups, if they want to discontinue involvement in the party?

RESPONSE

1. Are there any reports of harassment of low level activists in PML (N) by student, or other internal party groups, if they want to discontinue involvement in the party?

No information could be located on harassment by the MSF of the PML-N members who wanted to leave the party. However, there are reports of violence by members of the student wing of the opposition Pakistan (Nawaz) PML-N, the Muslim ’ (MSF). The PML-N led by politician formed the government in Pakistan following the 1997 elections. However in 1999, the PML-N government was deposed in a military coup by General . Research Response PAK17747 of 20 January 2006 provides information on the relationship between the PML-N and the MSF. The response highlighted a number of reports that referred to activities of the MSF members in the Pakistani of Sialkot in . On 4 November 2004, the Government in Sialkot was closed for two days after a student was killed by the MSF activists and as a result, the of Punjab, Lieutenant General on 10 November announced measures to eliminate political organisations from universities. According to the website, on 25 May 2005, tensions between the MSF and a rival student organisation Islami Jamiat Tulaba (IJT) flared up after the IJT alleged “that MSF activists with the help of some outsiders attacked their members and injured them seriously. But the police instead of arresting the accused rounded up IJT students which was uncalled for”. The report continues that “Civil Lines police registered a case against 13 MSF activists, including Ishtiaq Alam, Nasir Mahmood, Salak Shahbaz, Sarfraz Janjua, Ibrar Gujjar, Afzal , Wajahat Khan and Rai Khizar, on the report of Aziz Hasan of the IJT. However, none of the nominated accused has so far been arrested”. According to the Immigration and Refugee Board of response of 5 May 2004, between September 2001 and 2004, the MSF participated in a number of protest demonstrations against the military backed government. “In June 2003, the MSF (along with other student organisations) reportedly joined the Shagrid , an organisation that promotes education and student rights throughout the of Sindh”. The response further noted that “several MSF members were arrested and detained in 2000 and 2003” (RRT Country Research 2006, Research Response PAK17747, 20 January – Attachment 1; ‘Murray College observes two-day mourning: Student’s killing’ 2004, Dawn website, 4 November http://www.dawn.com/2004/11/04/local39.htm – Accessed 20 January 2006 – Attachment 2; Gillani, W. 2004, ‘Govt mopping up politics from campuses: Maqbool’, , 10 November http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_10-11-2004_pg7_26 – Accessed 20 January 2006 – Attachment 3; for a chronology on cases of harassment and violence against the PML-N see Question 1 of RRT Country Research 2006, Research Response PAK17768, 24 January – Attachment 4; ‘Tension persists on PMC campus’ 2005, Dawn, 25 May http://www.dawn.com/2005/05/25/nat29.htm – Accessed 14 May 2007 – Attachment 5; for a political history of the PML-N see Questions 1 and 5 of RRT Country Research 2005, Research Response PAK17708, 14 December – Attachment 6; Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada 2004, PAK42531.E – Pakistan: The treatment/detention of members, activists and workers of the PML and, its student wing, the Muslim Student Federation (MSF), by the government and other opposition parties (June 2000-March 2004), 5 May – Attachment 7).

PML-N – Recent Developments

According to Stratfor, the former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in an interview in the British Daily Times Online on 16 May called President General Pervez Musharraf “a gone man”. According to the report:

Sharif, who also is leader of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and was ousted from power by Musharraf in 1999, said Musharraf’s “options are totally exhausted, and starting from today [his fall] is simply a matter of time.” Sharif is not exaggerating -- with each passing day Musharraf appears to be losing his hold on power. Musharraf’s own constituency, the military, is beginning to show signs of concern -- even his close generals are now privately admitting things have gotten out of hand. There also are indications that the has begun to gradually move away from the embattled Pakistani leader (‘Geopolitical Diary: Examining a Post-Musharraf Pakistan’ 2007, Stratfor, 16 May – Accessed 17 May 2007 – Attachment 8).

On 15 May 2007, PML-N members participated in a demonstration against the killings of 12 May, alleged by the opposition parties to have been carried out by pro- Musharraf Mutahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), and the suspension of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Chaudhry. According to the , “the rally commenced from Alwan-e-Adal and terminated at Governor House. Initially, the police set up hurdles on the way of rally, which were forcefully removed by angry protestors”. The PML-N has accused the military for the continued chaos and political violence in the country and as a result, it formed a broad coalition with the Benazir ’s Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) but according to the Asian News International, “the two former Pakistan Prime Ministers [Nawaz Sharif and ] are apparently headed for a parting of ways in the wake of the reported deal with the Musharraf regime to facilitate Bhutto’s return to Pakistan after a decade of self-exile” (Nawaz, H & Riaz, M. 2007, ‘Lawyers and parties protest over the Karachi killings’, Business Recorder, 15 May – Attachment 9; ‘Sharif ‘pleads’ with Benazir not to tie-up with Musharraf’ 2007, Asian News International, 14 May – Attachment 10; for information on the clash between MQM and the PPP see: ‘Violent clashes hit Pakistan ’ 2007, BBC, 12 May http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6649089.stm – Accessed 15 May 2007 – Attachment 11).

On 6 May 2007, Sialkot police released more than one hundred and thirty activists belonging to the PML-N, the PPP and the Muttahida -e-Amal (MMA). The activists were arrested in Sialkot and on 2 May during a special crackdown on opposition activities. According to the Pakistan Press International Information Services, “majority of the activists went underground to avert their possible arrests. The police had arrested as many as 10 PML-N and MMA local leaders from late last night [2 May]” (‘130 activists of opposition parties released’ 2007, Pakistan Press International Information Services, 6 May – Attachment 12; ‘25 more activists of PML-N and MMA arrested during a crackdown’ 2007, Pakistan Press International Information Services, 3 May – Attachment 13).

In April 2007, the PML-N women activists tore the picture of President Musharraf and attacked a member of the Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam) PML (Q) during a demonstration against the suspension of the Pakistan’s Chief Justice. On 3 April, lawyer wing of the PML-N in Sialkot “observed complete strike and none of them appeared before the courts”. According to the Frontier , “lawyer wings of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), (PPP), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and representatives of Non Governmental Organization (NGOs) as a token participated in the march. During the march, the lawyers and demonstrators were holding black flags and banners inscribed with anti Musharraf, government and independence of judiciary slogans” (‘Strict security measures taken during suspended CJ’s hearing’ 2007, Frontier Star, 18 April – Attachment 14; ‘lawyers stage countrywide protests, boycott courts, announce million march on April 19’ 2007, Frontier Star, 3 April – Attachment 15).

According to the Pakistan Press International Information Services, a magistrate on 27 February issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against PML-N leaders in Sialkot. The report stated that:

The Civil Judge/Judicial Magistrate Ilyas Rehan, has issued the non-bailable arrest warrants of PML-Ns central leader, MNA and four other PML-N district leaders including ex-MNA Sahibzada Syed Iftikharul Hassan , Idrees Ahmad Bajwa the PML-N Sialkot district president, former MPA Mansha Ullah Butt and Shujaat Pasha for not appearing before this court in a case of Bambaanwala police station.

According to FIR [] lodged at Bambaanwala police station under section 324 PPC, the accused PML-N leaders had a clash with the police party, as the police had halted the PML-N from going to Airport upon the arrival of PML-N President in Lahore during 2004.

The police wanted the above-mentioned accused and the case was under trial in the Daska court. The court on Tuesday issued the non-bailable arrest warrants of PML-N leaders including MNA Khawaja Muhammad Asif. The court ordered the police to arrest these accused PML-N leaders and produce them before the said court, in this regard on April 04, 2007 for hearing of this case. On the other hand, the police still remain unable to arrest these accused (‘Non-bailable warrants of PML-N leaders’ 2007, Pakistan Press International Information Services, 28 February – Attachment 16).

On 10 January 2007, the Kotwali police registered a case against fourteen PML-N activists for holding an anti-government rally in Sialkot city. According to the Dawn website, “official sources said on Wednesday [10 January] that the police had detained PML-N Sialkot district coordinator Manshaullah Butt, PML-N Sialkot district president Idrees Ahmad Bajwa, senior vice-president Asif Mehmood Soni, and UC Nazim Daska Yahiya Gul Nawaz” The report further noted that the “PML-N central leader and MNA Khwaja Asif and MPA Imran Ashraf have condemned the arrests and termed them against the norms of democracy” (‘14 PML-N activists booked’ 2007, Pakistan Press International Information Services, 11 January – Attachment 17; ‘Sialkot PML-N leaders held’ 2007, Dawn, 11 January http://www.dawn.com/2007/01/11/nat31.htm – Accessed 14 May 2007 – Attachment 18). According to the US Department of State 2007 report, some political groups claimed their members were marked for arrest based on their political. According to the report:

In 2001 police arrested Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, a former speaker of the and an accountability court in charged Gilani with misusing his position. On October 5, Gilani was released on bail. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML N) leader remained in jail, sentenced to 27 years on sedition charges in 2004 after reading in the cafeteria of the National Assembly a letter critical of the military. His appeal was ongoing at year’s end” (US Department of State 2007, Country report on Human Rights Practices – Pakistan, March – Attachment 19).

The Human Rights Watch Report 2007 on Pakistan dated January 2007 recorded that:

The government continues to use the National Accountability Bureau and a host of anti- corruption and sedition laws to keep in jail or threaten political opponents, particularly members of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s Pakistan Peoples Party and the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz). As elections approach in 2007, such is expected to increase (Human Rights Watch 2007, World Report – Pakistan, January – Attachment 20).

List of Sources Consulted

Internet Sources: Government Information & Reports US Department of State www.state.gov Non-Government Organisations Human Rights Watch www.hrw.org International News & Politics Region Specific Links Dawn website www.dawn.com Daily Times website www.dailytimes.com Search Engines Google search engine http://www.google.com.au/

Databases: FACTIVA (news database) BACIS (DIMA Country Information database) REFINFO (IRBDC (Canada) Country Information database) ISYS (RRT Country Research database, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, US Department of State Reports) RRT Library Catalogue

List of Attachments

1. RRT Country Research 2006, Research Response PAK17747, 20 January.

2. ‘Murray College observes two-day mourning: Student’s killing’ 2004, Dawn website, 4 November http://www.dawn.com/2004/11/04/local39.htm – Accessed 20 January 2006.

3. Gillani, W. 2004, ‘Govt mopping up politics from campuses: Maqbool’, Daily Times, 10 November http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_10-11-2004_pg7_26 – Accessed 20 January 2006.

4. RRT Country Research 2006, Research Response PAK17768, 24 January.

5. ‘Tension persists on PMC campus’ 2005, Dawn, 25 May http://www.dawn.com/2005/05/25/nat29.htm – Accessed 14 May 2007.

6. RRT Country Research 2005, Research Response PAK17708, 14 December.

7. Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada 2004, PAK42531.E – Pakistan: The treatment/detention of members, activists and workers of the Pakistan Muslim League PML and, its student wing, the Muslim Student Federation (MSF), by the government and other opposition parties (June 2000-March 2004), 5 May. (REFINFO)

8. Geopolitical Diary: Examining a Post-Musharraf Pakistan’ 2007, Stratfor, 16 May – Accessed 17 May 2007.

9. Nawaz,H & Riaz, M. 2007, ‘Lawyers and parties protest over the Karachi killings’, Business Recorder, 15 May. (FACTIVA)

10. ‘Sharif ‘pleads’ with Benazir not to tie-up with Musharraf’ 2007, Asian News International, 14 May. (FACTIVA)

11. ‘Violent clashes hit Pakistan city’ 2007, BBC, 12 May http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6649089.stm – Accessed 15 May 2007.

12. ‘130 activists of opposition parties released’ 2007, Pakistan Press International Information Services, 6 May. (FACTIVA)

13. ‘25 more activists of PML-N and MMA arrested during a crackdown’ 2007, Pakistan Press International Information Services, 3 May. (FACTIVA)

14. ‘Strict security measures taken during suspended CJ’s hearing’ 2007, Frontier Star, 18 April. (FACTIVA)

15. ‘Lawyers stage countrywide protests, boycott courts, announce million march on April 19’ 2007, Frontier Star, 3 April. (FACTIVA)

16. ‘Non-bailable warrants of PML-N leaders’ 2007, Pakistan Press International Information Services, 28 February. (FACTIVA) 17. ‘14 PML-N activists booked’ 2007, Pakistan Press International Information Services, 11 January.

18. ‘Sialkot PML-N leaders held’ 2007, Dawn, 11 January http://www.dawn.com/2007/01/11/nat31.htm – Accessed 14 May 2007.

19. US Department of State 2007, Country report on Human Rights Practices – Pakistan, March.

20. Human Rights Watch 2007, World Report – Pakistan, January.