London Green MEP, Jean Lambert, addressed the European Parliament yesterday afternoon during a debate on the political state of Pakistan following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto earlier this month. Speaking ahead of President Musharraf’s visit to Brussels next week, Ms Lambert expressed her concern over the judicial system and security of the country, which has a stock of nuclear arms.
Jean Lambert expressed her sympathy for the family of Benazir Bhutto and all those who have lost loved ones in violent attacks recently. The European Commission also paid its respects to Ms Bhutto, describing her death as a “national tragedy” and “a loss to the world”. It called for the elections to take place without further delay and signalled that it would be deploying a formal observation mission to oversee the elections in Pakistan to ensure that a fair and transparent process takes place.
Jean Lambert, who is a Member of the Citizens’ Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs Committee in the European Parliament, said:
“I fully support the steps the European Commission intends to take to aid fair and transparent elections in Pakistan. It is essential that people have confidence in the electoral system and its outcome.
“It’s also vital that the people of Pakistan have an independent and fully-functioning judicial system which ensures fair trials. There must be an end to detention without charge and secret prisons and there should be a commitment from the next Government to continue the enquiries into the civilian disappearances that have taken place.
“There is a desperate need for stability in Pakistan, both for its people and the international community: this is, after all, a nuclear state. I welcome the commitment from the European Union to give aid for education, which I believe will be more powerful for the country than the support through arms that other states have provided.”