Islamabad, 17 December 2007: The Insani Huqooq Ittehad (IHI) and
Joint Action Committee for Citizens’ Rights (JAC) strongly condemn
the large scale arrest, severe lathi charge, tear gas attack and
unprecedented police brutality on a protest rally of students, civil
society activists, lawyers and representatives of the media in
Islamabad on Monday evening.
At the call of Awami Jamhoori Ittehad, a sizeable number turned up at
Aabpara Chowk, with the intention of marching towards the Judicial
Colony, to show solidarity with the Honourable Chief Justice of
Pakistan, Mr. Iftikhar M. Chaudhry, and the other deposed Judges of
the Supreme Court, as well as the detained lawyers, including Aitzaz
Ahsan, Ali Ahmad Kurd and J. Tariq Mahmood, amongst others.
They marched past the Islamabad Press Club peacefully, and turned at
the Geo Chowk towards the Judicial Colony, when the police stopped
them. The students and other activists demurred and remonstrated at
this, on the basis that the Emergency had been lifted amidst much
fanfare, and thus the fundamental Constitutional rights stood
restored.
In response, the police resorted to firing tear gas shells, baton
charge and severe brutality, including driving their vehicles into
the crowd and manhandling both women and men protesters. Scores of
demonstrators were seriously injured, and some had to be taken to
nearby hospitals. About 40 protesters were immediately arrested,
including nine women, and taken to various police stations in
Islamabad, where they were booked. Friends who subsequently came to
seek their release were also arrested within the police station
premises.
Two important points are noteworthy: firstly, that the police
themselves provoked the incident and then resorted to a heavily
disproportionate use of force. Secondly, that the much-touted
“lifting” of the Emergency (or Martial Law by another name) is just
an eye-wash to please the international community. It fools no one,
and such incidents only serve to show the ugly face of the
dictatorship and the complete absence of fundamental human rights
enshrined in the 1973 Constitution. We strongly condemn it, and call
for the immediate release of all detainees, whether in jails, police
stations, or under house arrest, throughout Pakistan.