LAHORE, Dec 7: Speakers at a seminar on ‘Human rights after Sept 11’ on Friday condemned attacks on America and the atrocities against Afghans, Kashmiris and Palestinians in its aftermath, emphasizing that terrorism could be eliminated through justice and freedom and not violence.

The seminar was organized jointly by the Pakistan National Forum, Human Rights Society of Pakistan and Kashmir Action Committee, Pakistan, at a local hotel.

HRSP chairman S M Zafar, who presided, said the use of power to establish the supremacy of America was the biggest threat to the human rights.

He said the second injustice regarding the reaction to the Sept 11 attacks was the attempt to hide the atrocities in Afghanistan. “Now they are talking of trying the Afghan fighters in military courts without letting the world about the proceedings and the allegations which is a matter of concern,” he said.

Mr S M Zafar questioned the democratic aspect of the countries which were bombing Afghanistan and said if they were democratic “we will either lose faith in democracy or the human rights.” He also asked the Americans whether their government represented them and if it was then whether they had approved the atrocities against Afghanistan.

Former Punjab Governor Shahid Hamid said the action against Taliban had been taken without any proof.

He said Pakistan should make the world realize that the Kashmiris were being subjected to state terrorism. He said stoppage of the support to Kashmiri people would be an unfortunate event.

Punjab Local Government Minister Brig Hamid Saeed (retired) said justice and freedom were the two basic components of human rights. If these were denied in the held Kashmir and Palestine there was a violation of human rights.

He said the events after the attacks on America were a reaction to terrorism. “Everybody has condemned the terrorism on September 11 but this was the result of injustice.

The minister said the reaction to terrorism was as condemnable as was the terrorism. “We will have to provide justice and freedom to eliminate terrorism around the world,” he said.

Former Punjab Assembly Speaker Haneef Ramey said the people should be ready for the actions in the region which America was taking in Afghanistan and Israel in Palestine. “After peace in Afghanistan they will turn towards us,” he feared.

He criticized the jihadi outfits for what he said providing a proof regarding Pakistan’s alleged involvement in the jihad and said India was trying to link Islamabad with the alleged state terrorism in Kashmir.

Mr Ramey said instead of going after the extremist groups in Pakistan the government must take all political, religious and jihadi parties into confidence to formulate a joint national policy otherwise “they will impose another Bonn Accord on us.”

He regretted the violation of human rights in the world but said “we do not have a right to object to it because we ourselves have been violating the rights.” Restore all human rights,0 including democracy, in the country, he said.

Supreme Court Bar Association President Hamid Ali Khan welcomed the Bonn Accord on Afghanistan and termed it light at the end of the tunnel. He said there were many such accords in the past which failed because of the insincerity of the actors directly involved in them.

He said the American action in Afghanistan was condemnable but “we should also admit our own follies that led to this.” He said whatever happened to Afghanistan was condemnable but “we had allowed agencies to go for adventurism and create and support Taliban government there.”

Mr Khan asked as to why the militant organizations were allowed to work in Pakistan without any hindrance and whether it was not the duty of the governments to stop them.

Lawyer Dr Pervez Hasan welcomed the Bonn Accord and said it would help protect human rights in the war-ravaged country.

Mr Abid Hasan Manto said the events on September 11 had unfurled the healthy debate on the reasons which caused terrorism in the world. This debate was started in America and the west which was a healthy sign, he said. “We should become a part of this movement.”

He condemned the world powers action against the weaker nations and said Pakistan must learn a lesson from Afghanistan and try to support the genuine cause of the Kashmiris and bring forward their real leadership for the resolution of the dispute.

Col Ikramullah Khan (retired), Begum Mehnaz Rafi, Jamaat-i-Islami’s Farid Piracha, Rana Ikram Rabbani, Dr Hasan Askari Rizvi, Kashmir Action Committee’s Dr Muzaffar Shah and World Muslim Sikh Movement Chairman Manmohan Singh Khalsa also spoke.