Member of Punjab Assembly and Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians leader Farzana Raja has appealed to world organisations to intervene to save her family from "state terrorism".
In a letter addressed to the secretary-general of Commonwealth Don McKinnon, Farzana apprised him of the actions of the government including her husband's incarceration since June 2003 in a bid to blackmail her to support the regime.
She wrote: "As a Member of Provincial Assembly from Punjab, I write to bring to your notice the victimisation of my family by present Musharraf regime. I have been very vocal and protesting against LFO and Army's continued role in politics in Punjab Assembly and the Media. I am being pressurised by the regime to give up my role in agitation and to change political loyalties. For this purpose they arrested me for a short time and then released under pressure of our agitating workers."
She added: "Later, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested my husband Pir Mukaramul Haq on June 21, 2003 on fabricated and malicious charges."
"My husband, Peer Mukaram, belongs to die-hard Pakistan People's Party family of District Dadu, Sindh which has remained in the forefront in struggle for the restoration of democracy.
His elder brother Pir Mazharul Haq was elected Member of the Provincial Assembly from Dadu four times, now his (Pir Mazhar) daughter, Marvi Mazhar, is the sitting MPA from the same constituency. Pir Mazhar was the president of Movement for the Restoration of Democracy (MRD), Dadu during dictator Zia-ul-Haq's regime," she wrote.
"In 1983, when a mass movement was launched against General Zia, Pir Mazhar was arrested and my husband was summoned from Islamabad and sent to prison along with two brothers and three cousins. They were convicted by a Martial Law Court to undergo one year's rigorous imprisonment. On completion of sentence, Pir Mukaram was reinstated as a result of appeal against his conviction," she continued.
"Again in 1990, during the caretaker setup of Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi, Pir Mukaram was demoted. On appeal, the Lahore High Court set aside his demotion order and he regained his Grade 20," she said in the letter.
Giving details of her husband arrest, she wrote: "In 1998, during Nawaz Sharif's government he once again became target of political victimisation and, on September 19, 1999, he was suspended from service. After four years suspension, on August 19, 2002, he was dismissed from service. Peer went to appeal against his dismissal to Federal Service Tribunal and was reinstated on June 19, 2003. Pir resumed his duties on June 20, 2003. He was picked up from his office by the official goons of the NAB and ever since he is incarcerated. He is in custody since then."
Farzana Raja expressed her concern for her husband's health and wrote: "Pir is an old diabetic patient for the last 15 years.
During the initial physical remand of more than a month, he was denied medication. His condition worsened, now he is on insulin and suffering from neuropathy (numbness of limbs). Six months have passed by but no charges have been framed.
During this period, I am being pressurised to change my party loyalty and being clearly told that your husband will not only be released but will also be given posting of choice, if I switch sides and that I will be made a minister in Punjab as well.
Pir was hospitalised twice for a brief period but hospital administration was pressurised by the NAB authorities to discharge him.
Presently he is in Adiala Jail, his diabetes is getting worse, due to severe neuropathy, his right hand cannot write and I am afraid for his health, as his right hand could be permanently damaged/paralysed."
Stressing that she and her family are finding it very hard to cope with the situation, Farzana Raja wrote: "My seven years daughter Nida is under a lot of stress. She misses her father. She is very attached to her father. She fainted twice and was rushed to hospital in emergency in the middle of night. Doctors have confirmed that physically there is nothing wrong with the child.
The problem is emotional stress, which is greatly affecting her health and state of mind. I am greatly worried about my daughter's deteriorating condition. Despite all the pressures, I refused to switch my political loyalties. The problem is not only political but it is humanitarian issue too."
"Instead of encouraging women parliamentarian, the present regime is bent upon pressurising them to change loyalties through punishing their spouses or other male members of their family.
The government is hypocrite which claims to be democratic and liberal but unleashes state apparatus against those women parliamentarians who remain steadfast and refuse to be subdued by the government pressure," she said.
"Today, there are five cases in various courts against my husband for which I have to attend courts when he is brought there for hearings. I have to go to jail to meet him twice a week. I have to take care of our two children, daughter Nida is seven years and son Shahnawaz is 17 (seventeen) months old. I have to supervise my husband's business and on top of all this, I have to perform my duties as a parliamentarian, besides attending to my responsibilities towards my political commitments. All this adversely affects my work as a parliamentarians and results in stress," she concluded.
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