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Pakistan returns to democracy On 18th of February 2008 the people of Pakistan decided for democracy, for freedom of press and for independent judiciary and therefore it was a clear vote against dictatorship and extremism. The Pakistan people's party (PPP), the party of late Benazir Bhutto, together with her main coalition partner Muslim League (Nawaz Sherif) has more than two-third majority in the National Assembly. The coalition also enjoys the support of other political parties such as ANP, MQM and MMA. It is the first time in the Pakistani history that a woman, Dr. Fehmida Mirza, is elected as speaker (custodian) of the National Assembly. Never before so many women were represented in Pakistani Parliament, altogether strength of the female members in the National Assembly is approx. 24 %.
Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani was elected on 24th of March 2008 from the Parliament as the new prime minister of Pakistan. Mr. Gilani was invited as an honour guest on 29th of November 2007 to “Pak-German Cultural Evening for a Democratic Pakistan” in Berlin by Pak-German Council for Culture and Democracy. Unfortunately due to the Emergency Rule imposed by President Musharraf in Pakistan, Mr. Gilani was not able to fly to Berlin. In February 2001 President Musharraf put Yousaf Raza Gilani for five years behind the bars, during his detention he received several offers from Musharraf’s faithful forces to change the sides. However Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani likewise Benazir Bhutto, Nawaz Sherif and Makhdoom Javed Hashmi remained loyal to his party and to the people of Pakistan.
As the first official act Mr. Gilani ordered the release of all judges, who were kept under house arrest by President Musharraf for more than four months. For years the people of Pakistan living in hopelessness celebrate now the return of democracy in Pakistan. The current positive developments in Pakistan are the reward of sacrifices made by political leaders such as Benazir Bhutto, Nawaz Sherif, Yoursaf Raza Gilani, Makhdoom Javed Hashmi and by many political workers during the last 8 years. This moment of optimism and jubilation is the great endorsement to the moral of Pakistani people even if it will last for a short period of time.
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(C) 2007 Deutsch-Pakistanische Gemeinschaft für Kultur und Demokratie e.V.