London, UK, December 9 2007 – It was reported in The Times on December 8, 2007 that the Musharraf regime in Pakistan persists in its call for Britain to ban the Islamic political party Hizb ut-Tahrir [the Liberation Party] that has followed a non-violent method for political change for over fifty years. The report confirms media reports last year that suggested that the British government had promised to ban the organisation at the request of the Musharraf regime.
Commenting on this, Dr Imran Waheed, media representative of Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain, said, "Calls to ban Hizb ut-Tahrir in Britain have not only come from the regime in Pakistan but also from President Karimov in Uzbekistan. In both cases these regimes, that allow little or no dissent in their own countries, have been embarrassed by the protests and campaigns against their oppressive policies by Hizb ut-Tahrir in Britain."
"It is not surprising that Britain made this promise to Musharraf or that Musharraf feels comfortable to repeat this request. The British government has warmly embraced the Musharraf regime, despite its hollow protests, and is happy to support the sham programme for elections designed to pave the way for Benazir Bhutto, who presided over arguably the greatest political corruption in Pakistan’s history, to re-enter the political process."
"It is ironic that David Miliband has called for a restoration of democracy in Pakistan, echoing the tired rhetoric of Benazir and Musharraf, whilst at the same time taking representations from the Pakistani government to fulfil a promise that his predecessors made to ban a non-violent political party. When it comes to the ‘war on terror’ and the suppression of Islamic political voices, both democrats and dictators alike are united in their oppressive and unjust policies – either in Britain or in the Muslim world"
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