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US supports Musharraf`s vision of moderate democracy
Washington, May 18: United States supports Pakistan`s President Pervez Musharraf`s vision of a moderate Islamic democracy, including the government`s ongoing efforts to improve human rights through public debate, legislative proposals and other initiatives, the State Department said in a report here.
Washington, May 18: United States supports
Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf's vision of a moderate
Islamic democracy, including the government's ongoing efforts
to improve human rights through public debate, legislative
proposals and other initiatives, the State Department said in
a report here.
"President Bush," a State Department report said,
"believes that democracy is essential to achieving Musharraf's
vision of a modern, tolerant and prosperous Pakistan, and has
publically noted that the us is providing 31 million dollars
for civil society initiatives in Pakistan, aimed at broadening
political participation and expanding education opportunities,
especially for women and girls."
At the same time the report, titled "supporting human
rights and democracy: the us record 2003-4", says that
opposition politicians, lawyers, civil society groups and many
in the international community have expressed concerns about
the constitutional legitimacy of the Musharraf-sponsored
constitutional amendments, and "the government's human rights
record remained poor".
Although there were some improvements in a few areas,
serious problems remained. Some members of the security forces
committed serious human rights abuses. Prison conditions
remained extremely poor, and police arbitrarily arrested and
detained citizens.
"The overall credibility of the judiciary remained
low," says the report.
Bureau Report
Bureau Report