Dear Editor,

After 28 years of authoritarian rule, the US and the West pressured the PNC government into holding free and fair elections under international supervision. The re-gime was forced to accept observers from the Carter Center, UN, Caricom, Canada, OAS and the Com-monwealth to monitor the elections to prevent another fraud being foisted upon the nation. The same can be done in Pakistan.

The UK and US unwittingly supported the oppression of Pakistanis by blindly backing the dictator. Their blind support to General Musharraf is disastrous for the people of Pakistan because the general is using foreign aid and his emergency rule to silence the moderate voices of dissent.

The US should force Musharraf to give up his powers to an elected government. They should force the general to hold free and fair elections as happened in Guyana in 1992 – perhaps they can call in Jimmy Carter to assist them.

Elections must be held under an independent elections commission, international supervision, and foreign observers as happened in October 1992 in Guyana ushering in democracy after 28 years of fraudulent rule. Elections held in the shadow of an emergency cannot be free and fair. The general must end emergency rule, restore the deposed Chief Justice (who is under house arrest) to his legitimate role and allow people to vote freely for their choice of government. Failing this, instability will worsen in Pakistan leading to a state of civil war.

On the issue of democracy, the mass protests enveloping Pakistan, all part of the struggle for the restoration of civilian democratic rule, debunks the argument that democracy is anathema to Islam.

No religious scripture advocates the oppression and brutalization of its people. If people have a choice between oppression and democracy, they will choose democracy.

Yours faithfully,

Vishnu Bisram