NLG CALL FOR DEMONSTRATIONS IN SOLIDARITY WITH LAWYERS IN PAKISTAN

Press Advisory November 9, 2007

contact: Daniel L. Meyers, President, NLG-NYC Chapter: 212-226-4106
Joel Kupferman, Executive Committee NLG-NYC: 917-414-1983

NLG CALL FOR DEMONSTRATIONS IN SOLIDARITY WITH LAWYERS IN PAKISTAN
New York City
Tuesday, November 13th - 1:00 pm
PAKISTANI MISSION to the UN
8 East 65th Street (corner of 5th Ave.)

The National Lawyers Guild, NYC-NLG Chapter, Center for Constitutional Rights, SALT, Alliance for Justice, have called for demonstrations at Pakistani Consulates in New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles & Boston in solidarity with Lawyers in Pakistan on Tuesday, November 13th at 1:00pm.

Speakers will include NLG NYC Chapter President Daniel L. Meyers; Michael Heflin, Amnesty International USA; Jeannie Mirer, Secretary General, International Association of Democratic Lawyers, IADL; Eileen Kaufman, Co-President, Society of American Law Teachers, SALT among others.

Lawyers, Law Students & Legal Workers will gather at the Pakistani Mission to demand the immediate release of all those detained after the declaration of a "state of emergency"; the immediate reinstatement of the Supreme Court and Provincial High Courts; the immediate revocation of Provisional Constitution Order #1 of 2007; and the scheduling of fair and free general elections monitored by international observers.

The NLG demands that President Musharraf immediately withdraw the emergency declaration of November 3, 2007, the Provisional Constitutional Order No. 1 of 2007 (PCO), which suspends Pakistan's Constitution. This declaration includes suspension of the right to life and liberty, freedom of speech, assembly and association, and equal protection of the law, all of which are guaranteed by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Pakistani Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry is being held under house arrest, and over 2500 lawyers in different parts of Pakistan including the President of the Supreme Court Bar Association and other leaders of the Bar including officials of the Democratic Lawyers Association of Pakistan have been arrested.

The National Lawyers Guild salutes the lawyers of Pakistan for their principled stand in upholding the Constitution, independence of the judiciary, and the rule of law. The NLG supports the call by the lawyers of Pakistan to refuse to practice before judges who have agreed to take the oath during the "state of emergency."

The NLG demands the immediate release of the lawyers and others from custody and/or house arrest and withdrawal of all restrictions illegally imposed.

The NLG urges President Bush to discontinue all aid to Pakistan until the state of emergency is lifted, the Constitution is no longer suspended, and Musharraf provides assurance that the January 2008 elections will proceed as planned.

Founded in 1937 as an alternative to the American Bar Association, which did not admit people of color, the National Lawyers Guild is the oldest and largest public interest/human rights bar organization in the United States. Its headquarters are in New York and it has chapters in every state.



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