Pubdate: Tue, 15 Apr 2008
Source: Daily Times (Pakistan)
Copyright: 2008 Daily Times
Contact:  http://www.dailytimes.com.pk
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2893

RELEASE RAHMAT SHAH AFRIDI

The editor in chief of The Frontier Post, Rehmat Shah  Afridi, has
been languishing in prison in Kot Lakhpat  jail Lahore for nearly ten
years since he was arrested  in 1997 and later summarily convicted on
trumped up  charges of hashish smuggling by an "independent
judiciary". In fact his real crime was two-fold: he had  upset Mr
Nawaz Sharif by supporting Benazir Bhutto in  the 1990s and later
treaded on the toes of the  anti-drug establishment and tried to
expose the  corruption in its midst. His trial was a mockery of
justice in many ways that were recorded by the media at  that time.
Worse, he has spent nearly ten years in  prison, which is more than
the time a life sentence  carries once all the remissions are taken
into account.  But the establishment has tended to treat him as a
"disappeared" person by refusing to grant any  remissions to him and
keeping him locked up. Needless  to say, his health has deteriorated
to the breaking  point.

The PPP government's pro-media and democratic  credentials have
already been enhanced by the proposed  anti-PEMRA bill in parliament.
It should now do the  honourable and just thing by ordering the
immediate  release of Rehmat Shah Afridi and winning hearts and  minds
all round.
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MAP posted-by: Derek