Dear comrades!
Farooq Tariq, General Secretary Labor Party Pakistan, along with 10 party members, was arrested once again on Thursday (27th Sept 07), from outside Lahore High Court, third time in last three months. He was under ground for the last three days as police was looking for him to arrest him. On Thursday he surfaced for a while to participate in lawyers protest rally against General Mushrraf. Labor Party fully participated in the rally to mark protest against the filing of nomination papers by General Mushrraf for the second presidential term. The moment Farooq tried to board his car after the termination of rally at about 12 noon, a contingent of Punjab police encircled him and arrested him without showing any arrest warrants. Police also arrested 10 other party members, most of them brick kiln workers, who were peacefully dispersing after the rally. Police drove them all to Old Anarkali Police Station and detained there.
When party comrades, friends and journalists reached the police station to meet detained comrades they were refused to see them. Police also refused to reveal details of the arrests. After four hour police allowed to see the arrested comrades, and by then they registered a case against them under Terrorist Act and 16 MPO.
Meanwhile in the afternoon, members of Labor party Pakistan held a protest demo in front of Lahore Press Club to condemn the arrests and demanded immediate release of the arrested comrades and all political prisoners. According to police the arrested comrades will be produced before the anti terrorist court on Friday. Human Rights activist Asma Jehangir, Rabeya Bajwa advocate and Abid Saqi advocate will defend Farooq Tariq and 10 other arrested party comrades.
Following are the names of the comrades arrested by police:
- Farooq Tariq
- Javed Masih
- Sabir Hussain
- Waris Masih
- Mohammad Munir
- Mohammad Sadiq
- Mohammad Iqbal
- Allah Ditta Masih
- Mohammad Hassan
- Allah Ditta
- Qasim Ali
from:
Khaliq Shah on behalf of Labor Party Pakistan
Ph: 0321-9402325
Lahore: 28 September 07
The Anti Terrorist Court, Friday, rejected the petitions of Farooq Tariq, and 10 other LPP comrades, challenging the case registered against them under Anti Terrorist Act (ATA). A team of senior Supreme Court and High court lawyers, including Rabeyya Bajwa advocate, Nisar Butt advocate and Nisar Safdar advocate, led By Asma Jehangir appeared before the court to defend Farooq Tariq and other party comrades.
Asma Jehangir told the court that it is a baseless case against the LPP members just to terrorize the working class activists to stop them exercising their lawful right to protest. The Police have involved them in concocted case, therefore they should be released, she argued. But court did not entertain her argument and order to send Farooq Tariq and 10 LPP members to Camp jail Lahore for seven days.
After this order the LPP members present in court premises raised slogans of Shame Shame and go Mushraf go against General Mushraf and military Junta for illegal cases registered against political workers. Meanwhile LPP has announced countrywide protests from Saturday for the release of farooq Tariq and other party comrades.
Comradely,
Khaliq Shah
On behalf of Labor Party Pakistan
Ph: 0321-9402325
Dear All,
It is hereby inform you that Labour Party Pakistan general secretary Farooq
Tariq and twenty other activists have been arrested by the Lahore police on
sep 27 just after a demonstration orgnized by the Lahore Bar Association, the LPP and other civil sociaty orgnization.
The demo was orgnized on the call of the Pakistan Bar Concil against the illegal and immoral presidential reelection of gen Parveez Mushrarraf. Before this election, thousand of political activest have been arrested all around the country in recent few days.
Labour Party Pakistan played a vital role in past Lawyers movement for the restorstion of chief justice of Pakistan. Labour Party Pakistan Chairperson Nisar Shah Advocate announced that LPP will continue our struggle against Mushrarraf milltary regime. Nisar Shah strongly codemns the illegal harrasment of Farooq Tariq and thousands other political activist, he appealed to all comrades and HR activists to send their protest e-mail to the government of Pakistan on this issue.
Nisar Shah,
Chairperson Labour Party Pakistan,
e-mail rednisar33 hotmail.com
cell 0092-3002147960
Farooq Tariq new that he could be arrested any time. We reproduce here a letter he sent after the police looked for him, at his Lahore home, September 23rd, 2007.
Going underground
By: Farooq Tariq
I avoided another arrest last night on 23rd September 2007. I had just returned home at 11pm from Toba Tek Singh, a five hour drive from Lahore. I am planning to contest general elections for national parliament from Toba Tek Singh, my home city. When the bell rang, I was sure it was police again. My partner Shahnaz asked me who can come at this time of the night. Our children have just gone to sleep, but Mashal (14) our daughter got up as well with the bell ringing constantly.
I asked Shahnaz to check who they are and if police is there do not tell that I am at home. We had decided that I will not be arrested this time easily. Police has to work and work little harder to catch me. If I am at home and police comes, they have to break the doors to get me out. I will not voluntarily come out. I was also sick and tired of police knocking my door again and again.
Shahnaz went out and she was tricked by the police to open the door. They did not tell her that it is police; instead they said friends of Farooq. But when she opened the door, she found dozens of police men in uniform and they asked where I am. Shahnaz who has now become used to police arrivals at our door step, told them courageously that he is not here and he is in Toba Tek Singh. My daughter Mashal was also with her watching the drama.
They did not insist to enter home instead asked my mobile number, which was given to him. The police officer connected my number and my cell started ringing at home, Mashal immediately felt the danger and ran inside to stop the phone. The running of Mashal inside home could have convinced the police officer that I was at home but he did not force himself inside the door and said thanks to Shahnaz.
Shahnaz closed the door but police remained there for some time. I as watching from inside home fearing of police climbing the walls and break in. But it seems that police officer was just doing his duty and not really interested to go any further. It was the same police officer with his team who had arrested me last time on June 4th 2007 from my same home.
I then sent SMS to the friends and press informing that I just avoided the arrest this time. Police is arresting most of the activists from the opposition parties and this time including the main leadership of the opposition parties. This practice is to avoid more demonstrations against General Musharaf who wants him to be reelected again for the next five years from a parliament who was elected for five years term. This parliament has elected General Musharaf with the help of the religious fundamentalists in 2002. But this time the religious parties do not want him to be elected and has decided with other political parties to resign from the parliament instead of electing him.
The regime has arrested dozens of activists and leaders of different political parties and is raiding houses of more activists like me. I do not want to be arrested this time and has decided to remain active but to avoid arrest as well.
Going to jail again and again is no good and comrades and friends have made jokes and jokes about me. Whenever, I meet a friend, he asks me when have you come out (jail) or when are you going in?
My son Abdullah (7) told me this morning that it now my turn to play “find and hide” game with police. When he was only one year old, police came to arrest me at my home and at the time both Shahnaz and myself were not at home, when Razia, the women who was taking care of Abdullah told police that Farooq is not at home, he said ok where is his son, I will take him with me and then Farooq will definitely come to present his arrest, a normal practice by many police come in Pakistan. He did not know that my son is only one year. Razia went inside home and brought Abdullah outside and told the police officer in anger, yes, you can arrest him, he is son of Farooq. Looking at Abdullah, the police officer was ashamed and said sorry and went back not come again for some time.
When I was living in rented place, my house boss was arrested and my office boss was arrested instead of me when police was unable to find me at home and at office. I went to one friend who was editor of Daily Jang to help the release of my home and office bosses, when he heard, he advised me to leave the buggers with police, and told me that at least you do not have to pay rent anymore.
So a new game has started with police, I will attend the demonstration on 27th September alongside with the advocates in any case and till then will try that police should not get hold of me.
So be ready for a new possible solidarity campaign please.
Farooq Tariq
general secretary
Labour Party Pakistan
40-Abbot Road Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: 92 42 6315162 Fax: 92 42 6271149 Mobile: 92 300 8411945,
labourpartypk yahoo.com
www.laborpakistan.org
www.jeddojuhd.com