Statement from ABA President William H. Neukom: Musharraf Must Do More to Restore Rule of Law

CHICAGO Nov. 28, 2007 — Pervez Musharraf’s resignation from the Pakistani army is a welcome step, but it does not address the worst breaches of the rule of law: the suspension of Pakistan’s constitution, and the arrest and dismissal of Pakistan’s Supreme Court justices.

Just over three weeks ago, then-Gen. Musharraf waged an extraordinary attack on his nation’s institutions of justice. As the Supreme Court considered whether he could legally be reelected president while still serving in the Army, he detained the justices, and then jailed thousands of Pakistani lawyers, judges and other civil leaders who protested his lawless acts.

This horrendous breach of the rule of law cannot be repaired with partial gestures. The American Bar Association renews its call on President Musharraf to:

• Restore the Constitution of Pakistan.
• Reinstate Pakistan’s Supreme Court justices.
• Free all lawyers, judges and civil leaders who are unjustly confined.

I have urged all American lawyers and judges to express our continued support for the rule of law in Pakistan, by signing an ABA online petition that will be presented to the Pakistani embassy on December 13.

America’s lawyers and judges will not rest until the rule of law is restored in Pakistan.