Pakistan not a democratic state says Pakistani human rights activist

Washington, July 5 : A Pakistani human rights activist Munawar Laghari has said that Pakistan being an Islamic country cannot be democratic.

Laghari was speaking exclusively to ANI, he said that in a country whose foundation is Islamic, democracy cannot grow or thrive.

"The crisis and issues will remain over there the same because the country's foundation is wrong. Pakistan is not a democratic country, and one thing is, because it is based in Islamic country. Islam and democracy cannot go together, it is clear, in Islam two women witness equal to one man, so how can you expect the country which is based on Islamic ideology and you expect that this country is going to give you the democracy. No way," said Laghari.

Speaking on human rights in Pakistan, Laghari said this phenomenon is new in Pakistan and has been created by Pervez Musharraf.

International human rights groups say several hundred Pakistanis have gone missing, many apparently taken into detention in connection with the war on terrorism.

Pakistani rights groups say journalists and activists linked to autonomy-seeking nationalist groups in places such as the troubled southwestern province of Baluchistan, have also been victims of "enforced disappearances".

"When we are talking about Pakistan, this disappearance issue is a major issue. And the people, even they didn't release, they are holding them behind bars. But this is the disappearance issue, still I would say this is a major issue in Pakistan, even after the election on 8 February, still people are disappearing in Balochistan, in Sindh. They didn't free all the people in Balochistan and Sindh. So, specifically I would say the 'disappearances' is a major issue in Pakistan, still," added Laghari.

On being asked about the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan, Laghari reacted strongly and said that Pakistan should first try and solve their own problems and then talk about Kashmir.

"When they cannot solve the Sindh or Balochistan problem, then they are talking about the freedom of Kashmir or these things, this is not freedom. This is kind of only their own interest, the military interests there. Because they need some reason, they need some kind of issue, and they need the money from the US, from the Islamic countries. That is the only reason they want to continue some kind of issue, they want to say that that's the only reason they are talking about. They are not sincere with even the Kashmir people. When they are not sincere with their own people, how can they be sincere with the Kashmir people," said Laghari.

ANI