Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-11-14-Speech-3-234"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2007-11-14"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Situation in Pakistan (debate)2
dcterms:Language	"en"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20071114.31.3-234"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2007-11-14-Speech-3-2352
lpv:speaker	lp:Robert Evans2
lpv:spoken text	"Mr President, I would like to thank the Council and the Commission, especially the Council for its tough declaration on 8 November. I do not think that anyone would doubt that the situation in Pakistan is very serious and very volatile. It is perhaps hard to register that everything that has been going on has really only taken place in the last ten days or so, since the state of emergency was declared. Several Members here met General Musharraf some months ago, both in Brussels and later in Islamabad, and we received a number of assurances. He was adamant that he would follow the constitution and that free and fair elections would take place. I welcome his announcement that elections can take place by 9 January, but I share the Commissioner’s apprehension and beg the question: in the light of what has gone on and the present emergency measures – the suspension of certain television channels and other human rights – are free and fair elections possible in less than eight weeks’ time? Whilst I refer to the Commissioner, I would also like to draw her attention in particular to our paragraph 14 of this resolution where we invite the Commission to consider expanding aid to Pakistan for education, poverty reduction, healthcare and relief work, but channelling the funds through secular NGOs rather than directly to the government under these circumstances. We have no issue with the Pakistan people. We recognise that Pakistan is a key ally of the West, as Mr Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra said. We recognise the important role they played in many, many areas and that they have also been victims of terrorism. But I do not think, colleagues, that means we should stand aside and ignore what is happening at the moment. My group also wanted to have a paragraph in about possible sanctions, inviting the Council ... ( I thought I was speaking such clear English that they would manage perfectly but I will, of course, slow down. I am also inviting the Council to consider targeted sanctions, which is what the Socialist Group would have liked to have done but we did not get any support for it: travel bans perhaps, the freezing of assets. But we hope all of this will not be necessary and we hope that Pakistan can still come back from the brink, that the state of emergency can be withdrawn and that General Musharraf will step down as Chief of Army. Mr President, my apologies for going too quickly."@en1
lpv:spokenAs	substitute; Temporary Committee on Climate Change (2007-05-10--2009-02-04)3 chair; Delegation for relations with the countries of South Asia (2007-05-02--2009-07-13)3 substitute; ECON (2007-01-31--2009-07-13)3 unknown; Labour Party (2004-07-20--2009-07-13)3 substitute; DROI (2007-01-31--2009-07-13)3 substitute; Delegation to the EU-Armenia, EU-Azerbaijan and EU-Georgia Parliamentary Cooperation Committees (2004-09-15--2009-07-13)3 member; Conference of Delegation Chairs (2007-05-02--2009-07-13)3 member; TRAN (2007-01-31--2009-07-13)3 substitute; Delegation for relations with the countries of the Andean Community (2007-03-15--2009-07-13)3 substitute; Delegation to the EU-Moldova Parliamentary Cooperation Committee (2005-01-26--2009-07-13)3 member; PES (2004-07-20--2009-07-13)3
lpv:unclassifiedMetadata	"Robert Evans,"1 "The President asked the speaker to speak more slowly)"1 "on behalf of the PSE Group"1

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