Rapporti verbatim tad-dibattiti

L-Erbgħa, 14 ta' Novembru 2007 - Strasburgu

8. Sitwazzjoni fil-Pakistan (dibattitu)

  El Presidente. El siguiente punto es el debate sobre las Declaraciones del Consejo y de la Comisión sobre la situación en Pakistán.

  Manuel Lobo Antunes, Presidente em exercício do Conselho. Senhor Presidente, Senhora Comissária, Senhores Deputados, como é sabido, a União Europeia tem acompanhado com grande preocupação os recentes desenvolvimentos no Paquistão, designadamente os que conduziram à instauração do estado de emergência naquele país no passado dia 3 e, consequentemente, a uma forte agitação social e a diversas detenções, em particular a detenção do "Chief of Justice", que se encontra neste momento em prisão domiciliária.

Não haja dúvidas de que se verificou um grave retrocesso na estrutura do Estado de direito e no processo democrático no Paquistão que configura, eu diria, um golpe de misericórdia nas esperanças do povo paquistanês, em primeiro lugar, e da comunidade internacional, em geral, relativamente ao reforço da legitimidade das instituições democráticas no Paquistão. Foi por isso que a Presidência emitiu, a 6 de Novembro, uma declaração em nome da União em que se exprime a nossa profunda preocupação com a instauração do estado de emergência e a suspensão da Constituição paquistanesa e das liberdades fundamentais.

A 4 de Novembro, dois dias antes, portanto, já os chefes de missão em Islamabad, mas também o Alto Representante Javier Solana, tinham expressado a sua preocupação com o curso dos acontecimentos. As nossas palavras, as palavras da União, juntaram-se assim às de tantos outros, reiterando a importância de ser reposta a Constituição e restabelecida a ordem civil, garantida a independência do poder judicial, a liberdade dos órgãos de comunicação social, a libertação de todos os presos políticos, dos jornalistas e dos defensores dos direitos humanos, assim como exigiam serem criadas as condições necessárias para que as eleições legislativas tenham lugar conforme planeado, isto é, em Janeiro de 2008.

Não temos dúvidas de que só num ambiente de total credibilidade democrática se poderá garantir a estabilidade e o desenvolvimento de qualquer nação. Preocupa-nos seriamente os relatos de numerosas detenções, do boicote à liberdade de informação, da repressão à indispensável liberdade de expressão dos cidadãos e dos ataques a classes profissionais, como os juízes e os advogados, jornalistas e activistas de direitos humanos. Todavia, e simultaneamente, não podemos deixar de lançar um forte apelo para que todos, todos, exerçam a máxima contenção e unam os seus esforços no processo de identificação de uma solução democrática e pacífica da presente crise que permita um rápido regresso à normalidade.

Embora reconhecendo os desafios que o Paquistão enfrenta actualmente na sua situação de segurança, bem como os sacrifícios e os esforços que o povo paquistanês tem feito na luta contra o extremismo e o terrorismo, a União acredita firmemente que a solução para esses desafios não pode passar por uma interrupção do processo democrático.

Não podemos, todavia, deixar de reconhecer o aliado com que sempre pudemos contar nesta luta contra o extremismo e o terrorismo. É, por isso, importante mantê-lo empenhado na luta contra esta ameaça global, na qual a cooperação internacional é um instrumento indispensável.

Finalmente, a União espera uma rápida e serena dissipação do actual clima de incerteza e apela ao Presidente Muscharraf para que honre o seu compromisso de tirar o uniforme militar e abandonar o seu posto de Chefe do Exército.

  Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Member of the Commission. Mr President, Pakistan is on the agenda of this plenary for the third time within a few months. This bears witness to the very difficult transition the country is currently going through. The imposition of emergency law by President Musharraf on 3 November in his capacity as Chief of Army Staff has sent a deeply worrying signal to Europe and the wider world and has damaged the course of democracy in Pakistan.

Before the emergency was imposed we had witnessed some encouraging developments, with hope for a more inclusive political process and stronger democratic institutions, but regrettably this has now been put in question and today we ask ourselves whether this situation is still reversible or whether it is not too late to restore confidence and conditions in advance of the parliamentary elections.

President Musharraf, in his televised address on the night of 3 November, told us that he was suspending the Constitution because of threats to the nation due to a visible ascendancy in the activities and incidence of terrorist attacks. There is no doubt that Pakistan is currently facing a very serious threat of religious extremism and violence as recent events in the North-Western Frontier Province and the attack on Ms Bhutto’s convoy on 18 October in Karachi have clearly demonstrated. But what we are also witnessing now is the arrest of thousands of lawyers, journalists, political party workers and human rights activists, including such distinguished persons as Ms Asma Jahangir, the Chair of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, or Mr Aitzaz Ahsan, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association.

These are people who stand for an open and tolerant Pakistan. They are not terrorists and it is wrong to detain them. They should be set free immediately. I would regard the drastic action taken against Pakistan’s judiciary as particularly serious. Rule of law is at the heart of any democratic process and the functioning democratic system cannot be sustained without an independent judiciary.

The statement by the Presidency, just mentioned also by our President on behalf of the EU, is therefore very clear, and this remains our position. Last Sunday President Musharraf announced at a press conference that he hopes parliamentary elections can be held in Pakistan by 9 January 2008. This would be a step in the right direction but there are a lot of remaining problems. When can we expect the state of emergency to end? How can we have free and fair elections when print and electronic media are censored, other civil rights and liberties suspended and the independence of the judiciary has been undermined? How will parties be able to campaign when freedom of assembly is curtailed and party leaders like Benazir Bhutto are kept under house arrest? These issues are not at all clear at this stage.

To end this uncertainty it is of fundamental importance that a firm date for elections should be announced as soon as possible, along with a clear timeframe for ending the emergency. For these elections to have any chance of being at all democratic and transparent, it will be essential for all restrictions on political rights and fundamental freedoms to be lifted. And, as things stand, at present it seems it will not be possible to deploy an election observation mission. Certain minimum conditions laid down in the Commission communication on EU election assistance and observation for the holding of democratic elections are not met.

However, if the emergency rule was lifted rather quickly and conditions were significantly improved soon, I might yet be able to review the situation. In any case I have made the necessary preparations for possible deployment of an EU election observation mission to Pakistan should the conditions noticeably change for the better quickly. But, as I say, I am very much concerned as to whether this is likely to happen.

There have been calls to suspend or review our aid to Pakistan, and some EU Member States have taken steps or are considering some action in this respect. The European Commission’s support to Pakistan focuses, I would like to remind you, on key issues such as poverty reduction and education, including in the North-West Frontier Province and Baluchistan, which are the most disadvantaged provinces in Pakistan.

Therefore, I think we will need to consider how best to proceed but, given the nature of this assistance, I think we have to reflect very carefully on that.

  José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra, en nombre del Grupo PPE-DE. – Señor Presidente, la verdad es que estamos ante una situación muy preocupante: suspensión de las garantías constitucionales, estado de excepción, detención de numerosas personas miembros de la sociedad civil, abogados –como el Presidente de la Asociación de Abogados del Tribunal Supremo, señor Ahsan–, opositores, arresto domiciliario de la líder de la oposición, señora Bhutto. ¿Qué hacer ante esta situación?

De momento hemos visto como el Subsecretario del Departamento de Estado de los Estados Unidos, señor Negroponte, va a visitar próximamente Pakistán y hemos visto como un Estado miembro, el Reino Unido, se ha sumado a la petición de las Naciones Unidas de que, en un plazo de diez días, el Presidente renuncie a la jefatura del ejército y levante el estado de excepción.

Nosotros como Unión Europea, ¿qué podemos hacer? Yo creo que, en primer lugar, tenemos que conducirnos con la máxima prudencia. Yo creo que el representante de la Presidencia en ejercicio ha señalado, y muy bien por cierto, que Pakistán es un socio fundamental en la lucha contra el terrorismo y, además, un país dotado del arma nuclear.

Por lo tanto, yo creo que, por un lado, la Unión Europea debe pedir al Gobierno, en la medida de lo posible, porque no debemos olvidar que el terrorismo juega y juega fuerte en Pakistán, que restablezca de alguna manera el orden y la estabilidad y los derechos y libertades constitucionales y proceda a la liberación de las personas ilegalmente detenidas. Y, por otro lado, señora Comisaria, yo le pediría que movilizase toda su capacidad y todos sus esfuerzos, que son muchos –ya lo sabemos– para conseguir que puedan celebrarse unas elecciones libres y justas y, sobre la base de las garantías que usted ha señalado en su intervención, la Unión Europea pueda estar presente y pueda acompañar ese proceso en Pakistán, que es importantísimo para la estabilidad de la región y para el conjunto de las relaciones de esta región con la Unión Europea.

Por lo tanto, señora Comisaria, tenemos mucha confianza en su capacidad, mucha confianza en su acción diplomática, mucha confianza en sus esfuerzos y esperamos que ésos puedan realmente fructificar en un éxito que le permita a la Unión Europea acompañar este proceso electoral.

  Robert Evans, on behalf of the PSE Group. – Mr President, I would like to thank the Council and the Commission, especially the Council for its tough declaration on 8 November.

I do not think that anyone would doubt that the situation in Pakistan is very serious and very volatile. It is perhaps hard to register that everything that has been going on has really only taken place in the last ten days or so, since the state of emergency was declared. Several Members here met General Musharraf some months ago, both in Brussels and later in Islamabad, and we received a number of assurances. He was adamant that he would follow the constitution and that free and fair elections would take place. I welcome his announcement that elections can take place by 9 January, but I share the Commissioner’s apprehension and beg the question: in the light of what has gone on and the present emergency measures – the suspension of certain television channels and other human rights – are free and fair elections possible in less than eight weeks’ time?

Whilst I refer to the Commissioner, I would also like to draw her attention in particular to our paragraph 14 of this resolution where we invite the Commission to consider expanding aid to Pakistan for education, poverty reduction, healthcare and relief work, but channelling the funds through secular NGOs rather than directly to the government under these circumstances.

We have no issue with the Pakistan people. We recognise that Pakistan is a key ally of the West, as Mr Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra said. We recognise the important role they played in many, many areas and that they have also been victims of terrorism. But I do not think, colleagues, that means we should stand aside and ignore what is happening at the moment. My group also wanted to have a paragraph in about possible sanctions, inviting the Council ...

(The President asked the speaker to speak more slowly)

I thought I was speaking such clear English that they would manage perfectly but I will, of course, slow down.

I am also inviting the Council to consider targeted sanctions, which is what the Socialist Group would have liked to have done but we did not get any support for it: travel bans perhaps, the freezing of assets. But we hope all of this will not be necessary and we hope that Pakistan can still come back from the brink, that the state of emergency can be withdrawn and that General Musharraf will step down as Chief of Army. Mr President, my apologies for going too quickly.

  Sajjad Karim, on behalf of the ALDE Group. – Mr President, Pakistan is a vital ally for the European Union. Today we find that Pakistan finds itself at a crossroads. But I believe that it wants to engage with us and we have re-established a recent history of engagement with Pakistan, which I understand is progressing reasonably successfully.

But we must not forget the historical context in which we find ourselves today. I know Pakistan reasonably well and by far the biggest issue and problem facing Pakistan internally today is the terrorist threat coming from across the border in Afghanistan. Afghanistan is a common global problem. We in the West turned our backs on Afghanistan some years ago. It is important that we do not turn our back on Pakistan today.

Pakistan has been at the forefront of this battle, sometimes carrying a very heavy burden on behalf of the international community, a heavy burden sometimes carried on weak shoulders, a burden the people of Pakistan have carried, absorbing so much violence and carnage which would otherwise have made its way into other parts of the world. The solution is not to isolate liberals and liberal values and to take away those liberal values from the people of Pakistan.

Today I see that the Commission has again called for the release of prisoners who are currently being held and I support that call. This includes people like the Chief Justice of Pakistan, and indeed Mr Aitzaz Ahsan, who is a leading lawyer in Pakistan. The President of Pakistan must – and these must be our baselines – end the state of emergency immediately. He must reinstate the Constitution. He must reinstate the Supreme Court and he must move towards free and fair elections.

President Musharraf should recognise that we have not turned our back on Pakistan. We remain engaged. It is now time for him to roll back from his current position, to acknowledge our core values, to make them shared values. In a distinct way, despite the desperate situation, he has a unique opportunity even now to deliver power to the people of Pakistan, the true custodians of that power.

  Eoin Ryan, on behalf of the UEN Group. – Mr President, I too recognise the importance of Pakistan to all of us in the fight against terrorism and it has been an ally to all of us in that fight. However, I do not believe for one minute that it justifies in any circumstances what has happened in Pakistan in recent weeks.

Any deviation from the general democratic process cannot be a solution to solve political problems within Pakistan. One of the things that really worries me about this is why he did it: because he was afraid that he was not going to get the decision from the Supreme Court that he expected or that he wanted. It is a fairly trivial matter in one way and it seems that he has gone to extreme measures in his dealings with the people in Pakistan, with the judiciary in Pakistan, in the way he has dealt with it, which is extremely dangerous.

I welcome the fact that he has given a commitment that he will hold elections, but the international community must not allow him to turn his back on this commitment. The state of emergency in Pakistan must be lifted immediately and the Government of Pakistan must respect the boundaries of its Constitution. The scrapping of the Supreme Court did immeasurable damage to the separation of power systems within Pakistan. It is a very, very poor example for the General to have undertaken. I fully condemn the wholesale arrest of political opponents of the General, which include 3 000 peaceful protestors and civilian and human right activists.

The European Parliament today must send a very strong message out to General Musharraf that his recent actions violate all respected international conventions and he is moving Pakistan in a very negative and very dangerous direction.

  Jean Lambert, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Mr President, like many others, I think we are here with a deep sense of regret and a certain feeling of anger that, once again, we are having to discuss the situation in Pakistan. I would agree with virtually everything that has been said this afternoon. We are in a serious situation, not least because this is a nuclear state and the risk of a failed nuclear state is one that should make us all feel very nervous indeed.

People are right to say that the power to step back from the brink here is basically with President Musharraf and his supporters. This idea that there is a state of emergency but the elections should go ahead undisturbed does not hold water. It is certainly not an undisturbed election if the leaders of the other political parties are under house arrest or in jail. If there is no freedom of the press, if people cannot even get satellite dishes because imports of those have now been banned, then there are no circumstances for free and fair elections whatsoever.

It is clear that we want the release of all those political prisoners, that we want freedom of the press and we want the judiciary to be able to operate freely because, if all those with stated commitments to democracy are locked up, who else is left out on the streets? The message that is being sent by the actions of the Government in Pakistan at the moment is therefore extremely worrying for a state that says it is committed to democracy.

I would agree with what Mr Robert Evans has said. We do need to have certain sanctions ready for use if the deadline of 22 November set by the Commonwealth and the UN is not observed and we do not see President Musharraf stand down as military leader or, indeed, an end to the state of emergency.

We should be supporting Amnesty International’s Day of Action tomorrow to remember the political prisoners held in Pakistan, and we certainly need to be looking at aid and the way in which it is spent. Pakistan has had USD 10 billion dollars of aid from the USA in about the last five or six years, mostly for anti-terrorism measures, and not for the maintenance and development of education.

  Γεώργιος Γεωργίου, εξ ονόματος της ομάδας IND/DEM. – Κύριε Πρόεδρε, είδα όλο το Δυτικό Κόσμο, προεξαρχούσης της Αμερικής, να ζητεί συντόμευση του χρόνου της διενέργειας των εκλογών στο Πακιστάν. Διενέργεια εκλογών χωρίς να έχουμε εξασφαλίσει ότι η αντιπολίτευση θα βγει από τη φυλακή, ότι ο κύριος Αχτσάρ, που είναι ο Πρόεδρος του Ανωτάτου Δικαστηρίου, θα φύγει από τον κατ’ οίκον περιορισμό.

Οι εξελίξεις στο Πακιστάν, πέραν των συνεπειών που θα προκύψουν μετά βεβαιότητας σ’ αυτή τη χώρα – και εννοώ την αναμενόμενη πολιτική αστάθεια και τις αρνητικές επιπτώσεις στην οικονομία μιας ούτως ή άλλως χειμαζόμενης χώρας, ενδέχεται να δημιουργήσουν άλλες παραμέτρους περιφερειακής εμβέλειας και ευρύτερου βεληνεκούς εξελίξεων που θα αφορούν την ευστάθεια σε ολόκληρη την Ασία. Μου είναι όλως αδύνατο να αποσυνδέσω τις εξελίξεις στο Πακιστάν και το Κασμίρ από αυτές του Αφγανιστάν.

Προτείνω η Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση να επιμείνει στη διασφάλιση του μεγάλου πυρηνικού οπλοστασίου, έστω και μέσω των Ηνωμένων Εθνών, τουλάχιστον μέχρις ότου η χώρα επανέλθει στην πολιτική και -ει δυνατόν- δημοκρατική προηγούμενη κατάσταση.

  Eija-Riitta Korhola (PPE-DE). – Arvoisa puhemies, arvoisa komission jäsen, olemme muun läntisen maailman lailla pitäneet jo vuosien ajan Pakistania tärkeänä liittolaisenamme. Terrorismin uhka ja Pakistanin hallituksen vahva retoriikka ja lupaukset tämän uhan torjumiseksi ovat vakuuttaneet myös EU:n. Liittolaisuuden ja keskinäisen solidaarisuuden varjoon on kuitenkin jäänyt liikaa epäkohtia. Nyt silmät on vihdoin avattava.

Kenraali Musharrafin kolmas päivä julistama poikkeustila, halkeama Pakistanin perustuslaillisuudessa, on vain jäävuoren huippu, josta varoitimme täällä heinäkuussa ja lokakuussa. Yhteiskuntaa on militarisoitu asteittain jo vuosia, ja ihmisoikeuksien tilan lakmus-testi, uskonnonvapaus ja vähemmistöjen oikeudet, on ollut rajoittunut. Sen sijaan, että Pakistanissa olisi tänä vuonna valmistauduttu demokratian voittokulkuun, on nähty selviä merkkejä itsevaltaisen hallitusjärjestelmän vahvistamisesta. Opposition jäsenten pidätykset, korkeimman oikeuden työn häiriköinti, maahan pääsyn evääminen yhdeltä oppositiojohtajalta ja toisen kotiaresti, YK:n edustajan vangitseminen sekä viranomaisten väkivalta rauhanomaisia mielenosoittajia vastaan kertovat kaikki siitä, että Pakistan on reunalla.

Arvoisa komission jäsen, EU:n on annettava nyt luja ja yhtenäinen viesti, että juuri demokraattisten voimien kansansuosio ja ihmisoikeuksia kunnioittava yhteiskunta, ei armeija, on vahvin este radikaaliryhmien valtaannousulle. Ymmärrämme, että maassa on sisäisiä turvallisuusuhkia ja että niihin on voitava vastata, mutta demokratia ei ole turvallisuusuhka. Se juuri on ratkaisu myös kamppailussa talebanisaatiota vastaan. EU:n on uskallettava sanoa ääneen, että näemme vakaan ja demokraattisen yhteiskunnan rakentamisen aivan kohtalon kysymykseksi liittolaisillemme. Ensimmäinen askel Pakistanin vakauteen on korkeimman oikeuden riippumattomuuden ja työrauhan takaaminen. Seuraava on tammikuiset parlamenttivaalit. Myös kansainvälisen avun tarjoaminen viranomaisille lokakuisen pommi-iskun tutkinnassa indikoisi huoltamme. Ainakin muodollisesti perustuslaillinen yhteiskunta, jolla on pitkät demokraattiset perinteet ja jossa kansalla on aito tahto demokratiaan, rauhaan ja vakauteen, ei hevillä itsekään luovuta. Pakistan on siis kuitenkin myös toivoa täynnä.

  Libor Rouček (PSE). – Pane předsedo, paní komisařko, dámy a pánové, dlouhodobé zkušenosti mnohých zemí ukazují, že nejlepším a nejúčinnějším způsobem, jak zamezit extremismu, nestabilitě a chaosu, je vláda demokracie a práva. Z tohoto pohledu je rozhodnutí prezidenta Mušarafa zavést výjimečný stav obrovským omylem a chybou. Pákistán není zemí bez demokratických tradic, naopak jak ukazují odvážné a zodpovědné postoje pákistánských soudců, právníků, novinářů a dalších zástupců nevládních organizací, občanská společnost má v Pákistánu hluboké a silné kořeny. Tato občanská společnost však potřebuje pomoc. Vyzýváme proto prezidenta Mušarafa ke zrušení výjimečného stavu, propuštění všech politických vězňů a obnovení všech Ústavou zaručených práv a svobod, včetně svobody pohybu, projevu, sdružování a shromažďování tak, aby mohly být na počátku příštího roku uskutečněny skutečně demokratické, svobodné a transparentní parlamentní volby.

  Neena Gill (PSE). – Mr President, the last couple of weeks have been a rollercoaster of shocking events in this turbulent and troubled country. The imposition of martial law in the guise of emergency rule is an underhand attempt to destabilise Pakistan for the personal ambition of one man.

President Musharraf justifies his actions as an attempt to stop the country from committing suicide, but it is not that the country is committing suicide but that the actions and deeds of a dictator are killing the country.

It is totally unacceptable that the leader of the opposition, Benazir Bhutto, has been put under house arrest and banned from political activity and that other activists and the media and independent judiciary have all been muzzled.

While recognising that there are real threats from extremists within the country, I believe that General Musharraf’s actions will only embolden the extremists instead of eradicating them and will serve only to weaken the democratic and moderate voices within the country.

Some say that Pakistan is on the brink of collapse. We must prevent this by giving a strong response. Moderate people in Pakistan are feeling frustrated and angry and they are disappointed by Europe’s soft response.

Therefore I call upon Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner and the Council to give an unequivocal, clear message to the President about the severe consequences if the suppression of the constitution, of politicians, of the media and of the judiciary does not end immediately.

  Philip Claeys (NI). – Mijnheer de Voorzitter, praktisch alle sprekers voor mij hebben er al op gewezen: de afkondiging van de noodtoestand in Pakistan en de manier waarop dat allemaal is gebeurd, is totaal onaanvaardbaar. Het is onaanvaardbaar dat Musharraf blijk van een dergelijk gebrek aan zin voor democratie geeft.

Bovendien is er een ernstig probleem dat door die noodtoestand nog meer in de hand wordt gewerkt, namelijk het feit dat hierdoor bij wijze van spreken nog een tweede front wordt geopend, het front van het moslimterrorisme.

U weet dat er sowieso al veel kritiek op het regime van Musharaf te leveren is: het regime schiet tekort in de bestrijding van o.a. de Talibaan, van groepen in en rond Al-Quaeda die opereren aan de grens met Afghanistan. Welnu, door het afkondigen van de noodtoestand wordt daar aan dergelijke terreurorganisaties vrij spel gegeven en de situatie zal hierdoor alleen nog maar verergeren.

  Manuel Lobo Antunes, Presidente em exercício do Conselho. Senhor Presidente, Senhora Comissária, Senhores Deputados, em primeiro lugar, gostaria de felicitar o Parlamento Europeu pelo agendamento deste debate que é absolutamente oportuno, dada a situação que se vive no Paquistão e em vista também da cooperação que temos tido com aquele país, um combate tão importante contra o extremismo e contra o terrorismo.

O Paquistão não é um país relativamente ao qual possamos ficar indiferentes, e não ficamos. Resulta também deste debate que as três instituições, Parlamento, Conselho e Comissão, partilham os mesmos objectivos fundamentais e imediatos, isto é, a rápida e completa reinstauração do Estado de direito e das liberdades democráticas no Paquistão e a realização de eleições livres e democráticas. Este é o objectivo que nos congrega e é o objectivo para o qual devemos todos, as três instituições certamente, trabalhar no âmbito das nossas respectivas competências e poderes.

Gostaria também de dizer que, enquanto Presidência, também entendemos, como aqui foi expresso pela Senhora Comissária, que quaisquer medidas que possam levar a uma eventual suspensão da cooperação, afectando uma população que é já uma população cheia de carências, devem ser vistas com cuidado e devem ser analisadas com cuidado. O povo do Paquistão tem já sofrido o suficiente e o bastante para que possa eventualmente ainda vir a sofrer mais. Portanto, temos também de ver essa questão com algum cuidado, se ela eventualmente se vier a colocar.

Em todo o caso, para já, os nossos objectivos são claros, são definidos, e posso-vos garantir que a Presidência e o Conselho tomarão todas as iniciativas e todas as medidas que entenderem adequadas ao evoluir da situação.

  Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Member of the Commission. Mr President, I think it has been shown very clearly that we all feel that what has happened is very difficult to understand. It is very serious. We are all concerned, because the imposition of emergency rule has greatly endangered the strengthening of democratic institutions and the building of a more inclusive democratic process. It is therefore of fundamental importance that civil and political rights are fully restored, media restrictions withdrawn and essential improvements made to the framework and conditions for elections. Stability and development can only be achieved with democracy and the rule of law.

We therefore have to reflect further on the question of a possible election observation mission. As I said, we might be able to send a smaller team of advisers to follow the process under the current circumstances. If not, as I said, the state of emergency would have to be lifted very quickly and civil liberties restored.

With regard to aid, let me say that we had already substantially increased our aid to Pakistan, particularly in the fields of education and rural development. Therefore, as I said before, I think at this stage we must sit back, wait for a moment, and judge very carefully. Of course we should not endanger the poor people in Pakistan, but we have to go about things in the right way.

  El Presidente. Para cerrar el debate se han presentado siete propuestas de resolución⁽¹⁾ de conformidad con el apartado 2 del artículo 103 del Reglamento.

Se cierra el debate.

La votación tendrá lugar el jueves, 15 de noviembre de 2007.

Declaraciones por escrito (artículo 142 del Reglamento)

  David Martin (PSE), in writing. – Pakistan is a vital ally in the war on terror. As a result it has faced enormous internal pressure and threatened instability. President Musharaff has responded to this siuation by declaring a state of emergency.

He argues that an abnormal situation requires abnormal actions. His response is in part understandable but quite wrong. The way to fight anti-democratic forces is with democracy. He should end the state of emergency, announce a date for elections and a date on which he will give up his uniform. He should then call for an open and wideranging debate about the future of Pakistan.

I am convinced such a debate would reveal that the vast majority of Pakistanis reject extremism and fundamentalism and wish to live in a country at peace with itself, at peace with it's neighbours and on good terms with the West.

(1) Véase el Acta.