•  Home
•  Who We Are
•  What We Do
•  Media Centre
•  Publications
•  Humphrey Award
•  Reference
•  Links
•  Contact Us

Human Rights and Democracy Forum in Pakistan

A two-day forum on democratic development in Pakistan, hosted by the International Centre on Human Rights and Democratic Development gets underway tomorrow in Islamabad.

Montreal, August 27, 1998 A two-day forum on democratic development in Pakistan, hosted by the International Centre on Human Rights and Democratic Development gets underway tomorrow in Islamabad.

"The meeting comes at a very difficult and tense time but highlights the importance of promoting human rights and democratic development in that country, despite the U.S. action," said ICCHRD president Warren Allmand who is in Islamabad to attend the forum and to meet with NGOs and government officials.

More than a 100 human rights activists, academics, government officials and representatives of NGOs have been invited to attend the forum organized in cooperation with the Centre for Democratic Development of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, a key partner of ICHRDD.

Last week's U.S. missile strikes that reigned 75 cruise missiles against alleged terrorist bases in Sudan and Afghanistan have infuriated the Muslim world and fuelled Islamic fundamentalism in the region, Mr. Allmand said. "The American action has been totally counter-productive... it strengthens the hands of fundamentalists who seek to deny basic human rights, such as freedom of expression."

Mr. Allmand said there is much interest in the forum which will discuss prospects for democracy and strengthening of democratic institutions. A report prepared by well-known human rights lawyer Hina Jilani will serve as the basis for discussion and offer recommendations for further actions to strengthen dialogue between civil society and the State.

This is the seventh workshop on democratic development carried out by the Centre since 1993. Last year, "Constructing a Culture of Peace: Towards State-Civil Society Dialogue" was held in Lima, Peru. Other democratic development workshops have been held in Guatemala, El Salvador, Tanzania, Kenya and Thailand.