[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 171 (Tuesday, November 6, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S13945-S13946]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        RELEASE OF AITZAZ AHSAN

  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about a matter of 
great personal concern with respect to events in Pakistan.
  On last Saturday, a Pakistani leader, Aitzaz Ahsan, was arrested 
while conducting a press conference in Islamabad. Aitzaz Ahsan is one 
of the most distinguished jurists in Pakistan. He is the chief counsel 
to the Chief Justice of the Pakistani Supreme Court. He is the head of 
the Pakistani Supreme Court Bar Association. He is a longtime leader, 
or was a longtime leader in Pakistani Parliament. He has represented 
people ranging across the political divide in Pakistan, from Prime 
Minister Bhutto to former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Sharif, although 
a political opponent, hired him to be his chief counsel.
  Mr. President, this is a personal matter because Mr. Ahsan's son is a 
close friend of our family. I want to say further about Mr. Ahsan that 
he is pro-Western. He is prodemocracy. He was educated at Cambridge. 
His son is a close friend of our family, who went to Harvard 
University, graduated there, went to Yale Law School, graduated there, 
served in the very prestigious law firm of Cleary Gottlieb in New York, 
was then hired by Kofi Annan to be a speech writer for him at the 
United Nations, a post where he continues to serve.
  I have, yesterday, written a letter to President Musharraf asking for 
the immediate release of Aitzaz Ahsan. Today, I am circulating a letter 
among colleagues asking them to sign the letter to President Musharraf, 
asking for intervention.

  Mr. Ahsan is not the type of person who ought to be detained, 
arrested, threatened. That is not going to build respect for democratic 
institutions or for the future relationship of our countries.

[[Page S13946]]

  I repeat, Mr. Ahsan is pro-Western, prodemocracy, somebody who has 
labored his life long to promote democracy and the spread of political 
freedoms in his country.
  The family has not been in contact for more than 3 days. You can 
imagine how worried they are. We have even been told there was a move 
to arrest his wife and that she was not home at the time the security 
forces came to detain her.
  I hope the Pakistani Government realizes how this looks to those of 
us who have been friends of this Government, who have respected the 
alliance between our countries, to have somebody like Mr. Ahsan 
arrested.
  I repeat, he is the chief counsel to the Chief Justice of the 
Pakistani Supreme Court. He is head of the Pakistani Supreme Court Bar 
Association, is a longtime leader of the Parliament, somebody who has 
been retained as counsel by leading figures in Pakistan for many years 
when they encountered legal challenges.
  I very much hope the Pakistani Government is listening. I have spoken 
to the State Department yesterday. We will have further conversations 
today. I am going to be asking the Ambassador from Pakistan to come and 
see me to discuss this matter.
  I take this very seriously. When somebody of Mr. Ahsan's remarkable 
record and stature is detained in Pakistan--somebody who is pro-
Western, prodemocracy, upholds all the values America stands for--that 
is a serious matter.
  Mr. President, I hope the Pakistani Government is listening. I hope 
the State Department is listening. I hope my colleagues are listening. 
At our caucus today, I will circulate a letter and ask other colleagues 
to sign the letter to President Musharraf asking for Mr. Ahsan's 
immediate release.
  If Pakistan is to have a future--and all of us pray that it will--it 
is critically important people of Mr. Ahsan's stature and standing are 
part of that future.
  I thank the Chair and yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The majority leader is recognized.
  Mr. REID. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, how much time is left in morning business?
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Eight minutes.
  Mr. REID. OK. Whose time is it?
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. It is the majority's.
  Mr. REID. OK. I do not see any takers.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Casey). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, if there is any morning business time left 
on the Democratic side, I yield it back.

                          ____________________