Update @ 0942: National Party’s General Secretary is targeted by Pakistani Government

Via e-mail from Umar Farooq with the People’s Resistance which is a coalition of various organizations, left-wing political parties, NGOs and human rights organizations, labor and trade-union federations, academics, students, and citizens:

Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo, General Secretary National Party, was sent on judicial remand to Landhi District Jail on November 8, 2007. Since hen no one has been allowed to meet with him. On November 10, 2007. Mr. Bizenjo’s Lawyer Arif Khan, Central Information Secretary National Party, Mr. Jan Mohammad Buledi, and Umar Farooq of People’s Resistance tried to visit him in the jail. They were informed that there are strict orders from authorities to not let anybody visit Mr. Bizenjo. They were also told that the visitation ban seems to be indefinite.


Its feared that Mr. Biznjo is being held in Solitary Confinment in the jail. Mr. Bizenjo is the first politician who is being charged with sedition that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. It seems that the government is targeting Mr. Bizenjo because he enjoys very good relationship with both Ms. Benazir Bhutto and Mr. Nawaz Sharif. In fact last week Ms. Benazir Bhutto asked him personally to act as an intermediary between her and Mr. Nawaz sharif. Mr. Bizenjo was trying to bring all the political parties and civil society groups together to work towards the common goal of the restoration of Independent Judiciary and repeal of the Martial Law.