FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Condemnation of Bhutto assassination in Pakistan

Pakistani anti-poverty activist and Campaign Manager of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) alliance, Irfan Mufti, today condemned the attack in Rawalpindi, Pakistan which killed Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto and over a dozen of her aides.

“This is a devastating incident for a country struggling to return to peace and democracy and indicates the helplessness of the current regime. Her assassination will have serious repercussions on Pakistan’s efforts to revive democracy as well as pro-poor development and governance. The country's poor will suffer more in this turmoil and the majority just get poorer in this volatile situation,” said Irfan Mufti, GCAP Campaign Manager today from Johannesburg where the alliance is based.

The GCAP coalition in Pakistan recently mobilised 3.9 million people in the fight to address poverty and inequality and call for the reinstatement of democracy in the country.

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For more information or to book an interview with Irfan Mufti or another GCAp spokesperson call:
Ciara O’Sullivan, Global Media Coordinator GCAP, Tel: + 44 77 672 46 880

In Pakistan
The national platform that supports the Global Call to Action Against Poverty is Bass Bohut Ho Chuka (Enough is enough).  Contact the Insan Foundation Pakistan, Lahore, Tel: +92-42-5202100-5202101, Mobile: +92-3008486562

Notes to Editors:
The Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) is the world’s largest civil society alliance of social movements, International NGOs, trade unions, community groups, women’s organizations, faith and youth groups, local associations and campaigners working together across more than 100 national coalitions/platforms.

GCAP is calling for action from the world’s leaders to meet their promises to end poverty and inequality. In particular, GCAP demands solutions that address the issues of; public accountability, just governance and the fulfilment of human rights; trade justice; more and better aid; debt cancellation and gender equality and women’s rights.

STATEMENT ON THE ASSASSINATION OF BENAZIR BHUTTO

Wada Na Todo Abhiyan condemns in the strongest terms the assassination of the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto. We feel that this is not just a brutal killing of a political leader but a culmination of a politics of violence and despotism which threatens democracy, and creates a sense of insecurity in the lives and hearts of people. The last many months in Pakistan has seen killings of innocent people, arrest of citizens and human rights activists. We remember them, and also express our condolences to the 16 innocent people who were killed in the attack at Rawalpindi

We feel with the people of Pakistan these dark moments as a dark moment of South Asia. We see it in continuum of political assassinations of the most violent form which has marred the history of South Asia- be it in Nepal, in Bangladesh, in India, in Sri Lanka, in the lesser known sub-regions of our countries, and express our strongest condemnation. These are also moments when we face in the most blatant form the way South Asia has been turned into a battle ground and bought to the brink of instability as a consequence of US's "war against terror" and its politics of Pax Americana.

We join our voices with the democratic people of Pakistan and elsewhere to demand accountability against such killings and an independent UN investigation in the assassination of Benazir Bhutto as was done following the killing of Lebanese Prime Minister, Rafique Hariri.

We demand and end to violence and terror of all kind, and restoration of democratic values and peace in the region.

The Campaign Steering Group
WADA NA TODO ABHIYAN

Wada-Na-Todo-Abhiyan National Secretariat
C-1/E, Second Floor, Green Park Extension
Behind Yusuf Sarai Gurudwara, New Delhi 110 016 INDIA
Tel: 91-11-46082371 to 74 / Fax: 91-11-46082372
Email: info@wadanatodo.net / Web: www.wadanatodo.net

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