VOA常速英语2007-Pakistan Opposition Denounces Proposed Ban on Ra

By Barry Newhouse
Islamabad
22 October 2007

Political opposition¹ parties in Pakistan are denouncing a government proposal to ban large political rallies following Friday's deadly attack in Karachi. VOA's Barry Newhouse reports from Islamabad that foreign political analysts² have also expressed concern about the proposal.

Massive, traffic-stopping rallies have long been a feature of Pakistan's political culture, where a candidate's strength is partly judged by the crowds he or she draws.

 

Babar Awan, a senator allied³ with former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party, believes the government's proposed ban on such events has nothing to do with improving security.

"The sitting regime and the political allies of the sitting regime - they are incapable⁴ as it has been proved in the last eight years of having the massive support therefore they want to go for a controlled, directed election," he said.

Politicians from several opposition parties say President Pervez Musharraf's government was threatened by Friday's outpouring of support for former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, and wants to limit the impact of such events.

Instead, Senator Awan insists, the government should provide the necessary security to ensure there are no more attacks on political rallies.

Visiting former U.S. Senator Tom Daschle told reporters Sunday in Islamabad that while he does not support a total ban on public rallies, some safety precautions could be reasonable.

"Rallies are an important part of the political process," he noted⁵. "Obviously there are occasions when concerns for violence have to be taken seriously."

Analysts with the U.S.-funded National Democratic Institute who were traveling with Daschle noted that political tensions are already running high in Pakistan. They said the government risks further eroding⁶ its credibility if it tampers⁷ with the election schedule or the campaign season.

The analysts also said Pakistan's judiciary must remain independent, particularly as it considers several high-profile cases involving top political leaders.

 

Meanwhile, Pakistan's Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao rejected Benazir Bhutto's request for American and British investigators⁸ to help the investigation⁹ of Friday's bomb attack. He said Pakistani investigators have plenty of experience and can handle the inquiry¹⁰.

1 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

2 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

3 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

4 incapable   

adj.无能力的，不能做某事的

参考例句：

• He would be incapable of committing such a cruel deed.他不会做出这么残忍的事。
• Computers are incapable of creative thought.计算机不会创造性地思维。

5 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

6 eroding   

侵蚀，腐蚀( erode的现在分词 )； 逐渐毁坏，削弱，损害

参考例句：

• The coast is slowly eroding. 海岸正慢慢地被侵蚀。
• Another new development is eroding the age-old stereotype of the male warrior. 另一个新现象是，久已形成的男人皆武士的形象正逐渐消失。

7 tampers   

n.捣棒( tamper的名词复数 )；打夯机；夯具；填塞者v.窜改( tamper的第三人称单数 )；篡改；（用不正当手段）影响；瞎摆弄

参考例句：

• If anyone tampers with this door it trips the alarm. 要是有人撬这扇门，就会触响警报器。 来自辞典例句
• I do not approve of anything which tampers with natural ignorance. 我不赞成损害与生俱来的愚昧的任何事物。 来自互联网

8 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

10 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。