Amn Ittehad, a non-profit organisation working for peace, on Saturday announced to observe January 1 (today), the first day of the New Year, as a day to express solidarity with those who are suffering violence and injustice.
“Amn Ittehad will organise public rallies at 140 places across Pakistan to mark Solidarity Day 2012. Thousands of citizens in villages, towns and cities will join these rallies which will call upon all state institutions to play their due role within the parameters defined by the Constitution,” said Rashida Gohar, Amn Ittehad representative, while talking to reporters here on Saturday at the National Press Club.
She said the participants of the rallies would express their firm commitment to uninterrupted democracy and supremacy of the parliament, reiterating their belief that they were vital for stability and peace in the country.
Rashida Gohar said the participants of the rallies would also condemn the unabated torture, target killings and kidnappings that continued to cause untold miseries to the people across Pakistan, particularly in Balochistan. She said the state’s failure to check the tide of violence or to apprehend culprits reflected lawlessness that no civilised society could tolerate.
“We demand a strict and urgent action against all those who have failed to protect citizens’ lives. Amn Ittehad urges immediate steps to reject use of force or coercion and wants a political solution to redress long-standing grievances of the people of Balochistan. A roadmap to peace which reflects aspirations of the people of the province and respects their right to resources and opportunities must be made,” she added.
Representatives of civil society, Naeem Mirza, Razzaq Theam, Maryam Bibi, Naveed Shanwar and Zahoor Awan also spoke on the occasion.