Student World Assembly, an international student group promoting democracy, is calling for President Musharraf to follow through with his promise to hold fair, peaceful, and transparent elections in Pakistan on February 18, 2008. President Musharraf’s decision to postpone elections, due to the political turmoil following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, must not be used to delay the democratic process in Pakistan any further than the date in February set by the nation’s Election Commission. The Pakistani government must also ensure that all candidates are able to participate fairly and without hindrance.
In September 2007, SWA announced that its Annual International Convention would be held in Peshawar, Pakistan by SWA-Institute of Management Sciences. SWA remains committed to this decision, despite the mounting political tension in Pakistan. According to Executive Director, Shahram Hashemi, “Our Convention Committee selected Peshawar as the convention site well before Musharraf declared emergency rule. While we did not foresee the current turn of events, we want to continue to actively support our members in Pakistan and their work towards promoting the democratic movement. ”
The Annual International Convention is scheduled for March 6-8th, 2008; it is the culmination of SWA’s activities, bringing students, scholars, and activists from around the world together for a series of discussions, lectures and activities that address an important global issue to be selected by SWA membership.
