LAHORE - The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is still waiting for “official response” from the Bangladesh prime minister to its Mr Imran Khan’s personal request to her that Mr Salauddin Quader Chowdhury should not be hanged.
Mr Chowdhury was executed several hours after the Bangladesh premier’s office received the communication from the PTI chairman. But a senior PTI leader said the party still wished to know the Bangladesh leader’s views on the issue.
“May I take this opportunity to emphasise the fact that the people of the subcontinent have been struggling for the establishment of sustainable democracy ever since the British left this region in 1947. This trend towards democratisation is now a global phenomenon,” PTI chairman wrote in his November 21 letter to Begum Sheikh Hasina Wajid.
“There can be no effective democracy unless there is reconciliation between political adversaries. It is in furtherance of this objective that I am compelled to write to you the instant letter thereby requesting you to kindly ensure as a matter of state policy that death sentence awarded to Mr Salauddin Quader Chowdhury in the given circumstances detailed below may not be executed since such a course would be conducive to establish long lasting peace, harmony and justice in the region,” Imran Khan said.
He went on to say that the importance of reconciliation after armed conflicts has been duly recognised by the United Nations. Pakistan and Bangladesh both ought to be fully aware of the significance of such reconciliation on two counts. Firstly, both these nations are members of the United Nations and secondly, majority of their people are adherents of the teachings of Islam.
The example set the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) after the conquest of Makkah admits of no ambiguity in this regard and resultantly all the adversaries of Islam were pardoned and forgiven. In the recent times South Africa's policy of appeasement adopted by Nelson Mandela towards his political rivals has taught us the importance of such reconciliation.
That last but not the least, that there is overwhelming evidence available in Pakistan of some of the top respectable of our country that at the relevant time Mr Salauddin Quader was pursuing his academic studies in the Punjab University Lahore, Pakistan. As such there was no possibility for him to commit the crime in question.
I therefore, beseech you to forgive Salauddin, who is being given the capital punishment. If his execution is stopped, it will be in the larger interest not only of our region, but for the establishment of world peace and justice.