THE HONORABLE GENERAL PERVEZ MUSHARRAF
President
The Islamic Republic of Pakistan

RE: MURDER OF PHYSICIANS IN PAKISTAN.

Honorable President Musharaf:

The bold and courageous decisions taken by you to confront the forces of extremism and terrorism internationally are indeed commendable and are a source of pride for Pakistani-Americans. However, the widely held perception here is that the impact of your courageous steps shall ultimately be seen as fruitless unless the same determination is applied to confront the forces of extremism within Pakistan.

The Pakistani Physician community in North America is gravely distressed at the sharp increase in killings in Pakistan that seem based solely upon sectarian hatred. We -- Pakistani-American Physicians of all faiths -- are particularly dismayed by the cold blooded murder of scores of mostly Shia Physicians. We hope that the cruel irony of committed patriots, who passed up on a comfortable life in the West and elsewhere to bring their talents back to Pakistan, being slaughtered by the very people they had sworn to serve, does not escape you. These murders are part of a pattern of blatant terrorism, which over the past five years has consumed more than 85 quite irreplaceable lives. Our anguish is heightened by the fact that to the best of our knowledge, not a single criminal responsible for these dastardly acts has been identified, let alone brought to justice.

As concerned citizens and as motivated lobbyists for the Pakistani cause here in the US, we urge you, Mr. President, to provide protection for our colleagues and their families in Pakistan. The provision of such protection is the fundamental duty your government especially in light of the fact that Jinnah's was to be a country where every citizen would be free to go to his or her place of worship without any fear.

We have faith in your commitment to transform Pakistan into a modern, tolerant and progressive state. Over the past several decades, members of our Association have been committed activists for Pakistan. We once again reaffirm this commitment with the fervent hope that our collective efforts will help to usher in peace and prosperity for Pakistan.

We look forward to a response to our concerns.

Respectfully,

Mohammad Suleman, M.D.
President,
Association of Pakistani Physicians of North America

Date/Time Last Modified: 6/18/2002 8:07:06 AM

© 2004, Human Development Foundation. All rights reserved.
1350 Remington Road, Suite W, Schaumburg, Il. 60173
Toll Free: (800) 705-1310 | Email: info@yespakistan.com | Privacy Policy