STATEMENT STRONGLY CONDEMNS ARRESTS AND POLICE BRUTALITY ON CIVIL SOCIETY PROTEST RALLY IN ISLAMABAD, 17 DECEMBER 2007
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. >>>ENDS
