Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

U. Utah students look at Pakistani politics
By Parker Williams
Daily Utah Chronicle (U. Utah)
12/06/2007

(U-WIRE) SALT LAKE CITY — As presidential campaigns in the United States flood the news, students at the U. Utah want to bring Pakistani politics into the spotlight.

A group of students will be viewing a documentary today in Union Room 161 at noon and discussing the politics surrounding Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

"The people of Pakistan want democracy like any other developed or developing country in the world," said Fahd Ali, a Pakistani graduate student who organized the event. "But the continuous support of the dictatorship makes it difficult for the Pakistani people to achieve it."

Students will show "Missing in Pakistan," a documentary that depicts how, under a military regime, people are randomly arrested without being charged for any crime. Ali said the documentary's content is "explosive" and that it is not being broadcast in Pakistan because people fear punishment for doing so. The documentary was initially released via the Internet.

Last Thursday, Musharraf was sworn in as a civilian president for a five-year term after handing over his position as Pakistan's army chief.

Musharraf's control in Pakistan has received much criticism in recent months. In early November, he declared a state of emergency, which brought Pakistan under military (and therefore Musharraf's) rule. Lawyers, judges and other critics of Musharraf were arrested and a gag order was placed on the media.

"It's like our own Guantanamo Bay or Abu Ghraib prison," Ali said. "Under Musharraf's regime, even though he's given up his military uniform, the military's involvement in politics will not stop. To have democracy, it's extremely important the military's involvement in politics is eliminated."

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