=> ISLAMABAD, Dec 18: Political leaders, lawyers, civ
ISLAMABAD, Dec 18: Political leaders, lawyers, civil society organisations and students on Tuesday condemned, what they termed, brute use of force against peaceful protesters and arrests of women, lawyers and students on Monday.
The arrests came when the group was proceeding to meet deposed chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry at his residence. The police blocked the group from proceeding and more than 20 students, activists, and police were injured in the resulting clash.
The Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) deplored the arrest of more than 50 students, journalists, and members of civil society, including the Fafen’s secretary general.
Fafen noted with concern that these events took place two days after the end of the state of emergency and restoration of the constitution, including fundamental rights provisions.
“We wanted to see the CJ at his residence to express our solidarity and support because the government said that he is free. Instead the police stopped us and beat women, the young and old. It was outrageous,” National Workers Party president Abid Hasan Minto said.
Former Sindh High Court Bar president Akhtar Hussain, condemning the use of force by the police, said: “Why are people like Ali Ahmed Kurd still in jail? Why is chief justice still in custody when government says that he is free? It’s all fraud.”
The police shelled the protestors with tear gas, arrested 30 of them and shifted them to the Secretariat police station where around 25 men were detained while 5-6 women were shifted to the women police station in G-7.
Majority of the protestors were dispersed with the use of tear gas and violence, but a handful managed to reach the Judges’ Colony where they were arrested. Anyone who came to visit those detained was also arrested on the spot.
“It was a peaceful gathering. The rally continued uninterrupted for at least an hour until the protestors reached Embassy Road where the police decided to clamp down on the protestors before they could reach the Judges’ Colony.
“All hell broke lose when the police stopped us and baton charged the protestors, especially women,” Asha Amirali, an activist associated with People’s Rights Movement (PRM), said.
Alia Amirali, convenor of the Students Action Committee (SAC), said the police assault exposed all claims of the government that normalcy had been restored to the country following the lifting of the emergency.
It was the most blatant use of force by the state machinery since November 3, she said.
Activist Harris Khalique said: “We must continue our peaceful resistance through writings and public meetings.”
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader in Senate and PPP leader Mian Raza Rabbani also condemned the police baton charge on protesters in Islamabad on Monday and termed it a “barbaric act”.
In a statement issued here on Tuesday, Mr Rabbani said the regime must learn that police atrocities could not demoralise a brave nation or suppress the movement of the people and the struggle of the people would continue for the supremacy of the law and the restoration of the constitution.
The PPP leader said peaceful protest was the right of every citizen as freedom of expression was enshrined under the constitution of 1973.
The people, he said, were peacefully protesting against the unconstitutional act undertaken on November 3, suspending the constitution and subsequently the judiciary.
He said they were also protesting against the revival of the constitution with unconstitutional amendments made therein.
The constitution, he said, could only be amended through the procedure provided in Articles 238 and 239 of the constitution and no individual had the right to amend it. Therefore, the new parliament would not give indemnity to these amendments, he added.
Mr Rabbani demanded that the government should release all the arrested human rights activists, the judges, Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan, Ali Ahmed Kurd and other lawyers.
Source: Dawn
Date:12/19/2007
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