LONDON – All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) President Pervez Musharraf will no longer be taking part in a question and answer recording session for a private Pakistani television scheduled to be conducted at The University of London .
Earlier, a private television channel had announced that General (retd) Pervez Musharraf will “answer your questions on a range of world issues, from ’99 takeover to the War on Terror and Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification” at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), Khalili Theatre on 24th of August.
The SOAS had come under intense pressure after the event with the former military dictator was announced. At least three groups warned the university that they will protest during the event and activists will disrupt the event.
Pakistan Solidarity Campaign, a group of Pakistani activists from various progressive groups, wrote to the SOAS and launched a petition calling on the university to “immediately revoke permission” to host Musharraf. It said that allowing Musharraf will “send the wrong message that SOAS – and the British Government – support military coups, state-sponsored violence, and humanitarian crimes in Pakistan”.
Pakistan Solidarity Campaign said Musharraf was “not only a military ruler who has toppled a democratically-elected government” but he was also involved in abduction, torture and humiliation of human rights activists and political opponents including supporting political and religious groups with links to violence.
The University of London’s cancellation comes a few days after Pervez Musharraf was forced to leave an event midway at Nobel Peace Centre after a protest by some participants.
