Woman Whose Hubby Is Missing For Past 2 Yrs Emerges As Musharraf’s Nemesis

[KashifAsrar]

From today's ToI.
Kashif

Woman Whose Hubby Is Missing For Past 2 Yrs Emerges As Musharraf’s Nemesis


Nicholas D Kristof



Islamabad: General Pervez Musharraf is facing angry street demonstrations around Pakistan in the most serious crisis of his presidency — and that’s partly because he picked a fight with a middleclass housewife who is proving tougher and shrewder than he is.
This drama is playing out in extraordinary scenes on Pakistani streets: Lawyers in dark suits braving clouds of tear gas to demand that Musharraf resign — or even be tried for treason.
And behind it all is the saga of the General and the housewife.
“The nation is ready to rise up; there is a revolution behind me,” says Amina Masood Janjua, a mother of three who has emerged as a nemesis of Musharraf. Janjua says she was a “very timid person,” uninvolved in politics and content to be “queen of my house.” But two years ago, her husband disappeared, presumably kidnapped by government security agents.
Human rights groups count at least 400 such disappearances since 2002, when Musharraf began using the war on terror as cover to eliminate troublesome nationalists and religious activists.
Janjua’s husband, Masood Janjua, may have been picked up because of ties to a Muslim organisation, but there is no indication he had broken any law. Officially the government knows nothing of his whereabouts.
Terrified that her husband was being tortured, Janjua organised other family members of the disappeared. They held a public demonstration — but the police attacked them and beat and publicly stripped Janjua’s 17-year-old son.
As the police dragged him off, Janjua’s 11-year-old daughter screamed: “You’ve taken my father; don’t take my brother!” He was freed that evening. The aim of the assault presumably was to warn Janjua — just as relatives of other missing people have been warned that their loved ones will be harmed if they protest.
The future is being shaped by Janjua, who sued the government over the disappearances. To everyone’s surprise, the supreme court took up the case and ordered the government to account for those who are missing. NYT NEWS SERVICE

Pakistan SC sets deadline

Pakistan’s supreme court on Monday gave the government two weeks to come up with information about hundreds of people who have gone missing after being taken in custody. At least 400 Pakistanis have disappeared after being detained since Pakistan joined the US-led war on terrorism in 2001. REUTERS

1,000 held, but Pak on boil


Islamabad: Thousands of opposition supporters on Monday held fresh protests against president Pervez Musharraf's removal of Pakistan’s top judge, despite the arrest of about 1,000 people in a police crackdown. Musharraf is facing the most damaging political crisis of his eight years in power since the suspension of chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on March 9.
Monday’s protests were the first to be organised by an alliance of the Pakistan People’s Party of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and a faction of the Pakistan Muslim League party of Nawaz Sharif, another former premier. About 5,000 protesters chanting “Musharraf, Dog” and other slogans gathered amid tight security near the high court in Lahore, witnesses said. Some burned an effigy of the president.
“This massive response to the opposition’s protest call is the beginning of a movement against president Musharraf and his government,” said Naheed Khan, a female legislator from Bhutto’s party. Police said 4,000 officers were on guard in Lahore, including special squads and police commandos, to monitor “miscreants”. Another 4,000 demonstrators rallied in Karachi while 3,000 people in Quetta called on Musharraf to step down and allow the formation of an interim government and free polls.
In Peshawar, leader of Pakistan’s powerful coalition of Islamic parties Qazi Hussain Ahmed told about 1,000 supporters that Musharraf had violated the constitution. “The only way out for him is to step down, he said.A separate public meeting held by secular parties in Peshawar attracted around 6,000 flag-waving people, witnesses said. Lawyers observed a strike in Multan and boycotted courts. AFP

 

[kidwaibhai]

Ok i have been following all the major newspapers and TV station i have never heard of this lady ever. This only one sided picture some of these missing people have joined jihadi outfits and have themselves diliberatly disappeared.
This is as long as i am concerned is probably for indian cunsumption because the supreme court thing has mellowed down and they want some bad to say about pakistan. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A LOAD OF CRAP

 

[Awesome]

No links Kashif?

Hmmm a lot of people go missing in Pak. How important does she think her husband was to have actually warranted the involvement of the ISI? The only people mysteriously missing as a result to ISI action are the 600-700 AQ suspects.

I think it was necessary for some time given the volume of the AQ problem around 9/11 but now they should be tried and if found guilty imprisoned and if not set free. Supreme court has given a deadline so we aren't at least as bad as what America is doing at Guantanamo.

 

[araz]

No links Kashif?

Hmmm a lot of people go missing in Pak. How important does she think her husband was to have actually warranted the involvement of the ISI? The only people mysteriously missing as a result to ISI action are the 600-700 AQ suspects.

I think it was necessary for some time given the volume of the AQ problem around 9/11 but now they should be tried and if found guilty imprisoned and if not set free. Supreme court has given a deadline so we aren't at least as bad as what America is doing at Guantanamo.

Brother Asim As Salam oAlaikum.
I would disagree with you. It never was and never should be necessary for people to be incarcerated without a case being registered against them ANYWHERE in the world. If a crime has been committed ,its perpetrators should be caught, tried and if found guilty, punished. Unfortunately, the very governments which were ardent supporters of human rights are committing this crime today.However, you cannot in any way, shape,and form justify incarceration without a trial. The Supreme court of pakistan has done a commendable job and it is time that all elements and institutions should come under the jurisdiction of the Law of the land.I think the present struggle is very significant in this regard. If it fails no one in Pakistan would ever be assured of getting any justice_ notthat they get much even now.
WaSalam
Araz