Pakistan: Farooq Tariq arrested again

On June 5, Labour Party Pakistan general secretary Farooq Tariq was arrested from his home by a large contingent of police without a warrant. His detention is part of a recent wave of repression by the military regime of President Pervez Musharraf, in which hundreds of activists have been arrested. The LPP, which is pursuing legal action and organising protests against Tariq's detention, believes he was arrested due to his role in the lawyers' pro-democracy movement and in activities against the Pakistan electronic Media Regulatory Authority, and because of the LPP's announcement that it would hold a Free Media Conference on June 6. Tariq had also been arrested on May 4 and detained for three days to prevent his participation in the public reception for suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry.

Send protest messages to:

•Musharraf at +92 51 922 1422 (fax) or via http://www.presidentofpakistan.gov.pk/WTPresidentMessage.aspx.

•Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz at primeminister@pak.gov.pk.

•Pujub Chief Minister Pervez Elahi via http://www.chpervaizelahi.com/writemsg.asp.

•Punjab Governor Lieutenant General Khalid Maqbool at +92 42 9200023 (fax) or email governor.sectt@punjab.gov.pk.

From GLW issue 713