DUBLIN DEMONSTRATION: opposition to state of emergency

PAKISTAN: Friends and members of the Irish Pakistani community held a peaceful protest against the regime of President Pervez Musharraf in Dublin yesterday afternoon.

About 40 protesters gathered outside the Pakistani embassy on Ailesbury Road in Ballsbridge to show their opposition to the state of emergency that has been imposed in the south Asian country.

The protesters demanded Mr Musharraf and the government of Pakistan restore the constitution of 1973, restore the judicial system and judges, lawyers, human rights activists, politicians and teachers who have been arrested to their respective posts.

They also called for a return to free broadcast of electronic media and for the removal of censorship restrictions which have been imposed under the emergency law, as well as a democratic election, scheduled for January next.

The event passed off peacefully and protester Amina Bari said the group had shown their opposition to the government in an "effective and successful" manner.

© 2007 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times