A reign of terror in Islamabad
Police beat lawyers, journalists; 114 hurt; protesters attack Azeem Tariq, Farooq Sattar
By Shakeel Anjum, Sohail Khan & Khalid Iqbal
ISLAMABAD: The Constitution Avenue on Saturday presented the scene of a virtual battlefield. The blood of journalists and lawyers soaked the ground who fell victim to the worst-ever brutality of the police in the capital’s history – thanks to the newly-appointed police chief Marvat Ali Shah.
Large contingents of the police, both in uniform and plain clothes, were deployed at the main route of the Constitution Avenue. Besides, personnel of law-enforcement agencies were also deputed at the main Chowk of Fazle Haq Road, Blue Area Islamabad, where the police had erected blockades.
The lawyers had gathered in front of the Election Commission building where they wanted to protest against the nomination papers of President General Pervez Musharraf for another term in office. A number of media persons were also there to cover the event.
Marvat, who was posted as the IGP Islamabad only recently, gave a sterling performance and fulfilled the special mission assigned to him. His men pounced on the ‘enemy’ as if with vengeance. He issued orders of the day, to target the likes of Aitzaz, Ali Ahmad Kurd, and others by name. He shouted dirtiest abuses at everyone including journalists. Living up to his notoriety, he used a more lethal device and asked his men to wear civilian dress and fill their pockets with stones. His cavaliers used these projectiles with maximum efficacy and hit the enemy.
The situation worsened when Marvat Ali Shah used expletives and roughed up Ali Ahmad Kurd while he was trying to enter the Election Commission building. He ordered his men to thrash Kurd. Responding to the clarion call, a number of faithful, uniformed and plain-clothed police commandoes, pounced on fragile Kurd, threw him on the ground and kicked him and beat him black and blue. The IGP himself beat Kurd with stick.
Aitzaz was standing along with his colleagues peacefully near the main gate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Under orders from the IGP, the police pelted stones at Aitzaz Ahsan and one stone hit his belly. This infuriated the lawyers who, led by Aitzaz, went to argue with the police. In return, the police beat Aitzaz with batons to accomplish the task given by the police chief. However, the group of lawyers, including Zamurrad Khan, MNA, managed to rescue him from the clutches of the police.
Besides senior lawyers such as Munir A Malik, Atizaz Ahsan, Ch Zamurrad Khan, Ali Ahmed Kurd, others who received injuries included President of the High Court Bar Association Sardar Asmatullah Khan, President of Rawalpindi Bar Association Raja Khalid Ismail Abbasi, Member of the Punjab Bar Council Zahid Sanaullah and others. Chaudhary Zumrad Khan was also roughed up and so was Sardar Asmatullah, Zahid Sanaullah and Raja Khalid Ismael Abbasi. The police thrashed them when they wanted to go to the Election Commission of Pakistan building for protesting against Musharraf for seeking re-election. Hundreds of activists of opposition parties were arrested during the crackdown against the anti-government people.
As many as 34 media persons and 80 lawyers, including common citizens, sustained serious injuries. The police also stopped journalists and media persons who had come to perform their official duties and did not allow them to enter the premises of the Election Commission.
Meanwhile, as the journalists saw the motorcade of Punjab Chief Minister Ch Pervaiz Elahi coming out of the EC building, they tried to talk to the CM. In this melee, the motorcade trampled a journalist, Altaf Bhatti, causing him serious injuries. Two security personnel of Pervez Elahi thrashed him with butts of their guns and the journalist fell unconscious. The police roughed up media persons, damaged cameras, and dragged them on the road. Their clothes were torn in the process.
The journalists, who had been at the receiving end, almost throughout, reassembled and retaliated. There was a free for all and then something unseemly happened. They would never have stooped so low, to the level of Marvat Shah, but as misfortune would have it, the poor minister of state for information came their way. The aggrieved persons thrashed him. But lo and behold, when the minister was having it, the gallant Marvat Shah was nowhere to be seen. He believed in the dictum that discretion is the better part of valour and took to his heels and made no effort to rescue the minister.
The police blew the sanctity of the Supreme Court to smithereens and pelted stones at the Supreme Court building and hurled teargas shells in the premises of the apex court where a group of lawyers had gathered.
The lawyers announced to observe black day on Monday against the police high-handedness. They also declared to continue their country-wide agitation to complete their mission of upholding the supremacy of law. Cable operators were given instructions to close down some private channels. The live programme was not telecast on different private channels in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
source: The News 30th september
