Civil society flays violence against peaceful protesters
* HRCP terms police manhandling of PTI women ‘shameful’
* Demands immediate inquiry g WAF slams IJT action against Imran
LAHORE: A number of civil society organisations on Friday strongly condemned the violence perpetrated by the state against unarmed citizens, including women, peacefully protesting against the imposition of emergency and the suspension of human rights.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) strongly condemned the brutal treatment meted out to women protesters by police at a pro-Imran demonstration held in Barkat Market on Thursday. The demonstrators had gathered to peacefully protest against Imran’s arrest, the imposition of emergency rule, the suspension of the Constitution and human rights, it said in a press release issued here on Friday.
The HRCP statement said policemen baton-charged all demonstrators at the rally, and manhandled women protesters until women constables arrived on the scene. The HRCP termed the maltreatment of women demonstrators a “shameful act” by the police, and demanded an immediate inquiry into the affairs.
‘Only self-interest driving JI, student wing’: The Women’s Action Forum (WAF) also denounced the action taken by the Islami Jamiat-i-Talaba members against Imran Khan at Punjab University on November 14. The WAF said the incident proved that the Jamaat-e-Islami and its students wing were driven by self-interest alone and that its demands for democracy were a mere sham.
The forum also condemned the continuing violence perpetrated by the state against workers of Tehreek-e-Insaaf, including its women members. It urged all political parties to come together in a spirit of tolerance in their struggle for ending emergency rule and the restoration of democratic institutions for a meaningful return to democracy. The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) condemned the illegal detention of members of the judiciary, human rights activists and members of civil society. It demanded that all detainees, including suspended judges, be given unhindered access to medical aid, doctors and medicine.
In a press released issued here on Friday, the PMA said the honourable judges and their family members were under house arrest and had been deprived of access to basic needs, including healthcare.
The statement said the PMA had dispatched a letter to all diplomatic missions, international donor organisations in Pakistan, all European heads of state, the European Union headquarters, the UN secretary general, the US, and the national and international media, urging them to persuade the Pakistani government to accept their demands.
Source: Daily Times
Date:11/17/2007
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