CJ summons Islamabad administration
Read the article and see who used excessive force when it wasnt needed…
http://thenews.jang.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=10400
By Sohail Khan
ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Sunday took a suo moto notice of the incident of use of force and thrashing of lawyers and media persons by the police and law-enforcement agencies on Saturday in front of the Supreme Court and the Election Commission of Pakistan.
The chief justice issued notices to the interior secretary, the Government of Pakistan, and chief commissioner, inspector general of police, deputy commissioner, duty magistrate and senior superintendent of police, Islamabad, to appear before the court Monday (today).
The chief justice further directed the chief commissioner and the inspector general of police, Islamabad, to produce the security plan as well as any order, if received by them from the Interior Division, to control the law and order situation on September 29, 2007.
They are also directed to submit daily situation report, submitted to the officials as well as the copies of the FIRs, if registered, along with details of the accused persons with an outline of the evidence, if collected, against them.
Similarly, the CJ directed the representatives of the private TV channels – GEO, ARY & Aaj – to produce before the court films/CDs, if prepared, of the incident.
The chief justice also directed the Information Ministry to issue notice, through electronic media, at the cost of the Ministry of Information, to lawyers, media persons and the members of civil society to appear and furnish evidence, if they have any, through affidavits, in this behalf.
Meanwhile, medical superintendent of the Federal Government Services Hospital, Islamabad, and PIMS executive director were also directed to furnish the list of patients, including lawyers, media persons, members of the civil society as well as the members of police/law-enforcement agencies, to whom treatment was provided in hospital.
Likewise, the advocate general, Punjab, was also directed to appear and assist the apex court.
The suo moto has been taken on a note of the Supreme Court registrar.
**The registrar noted that lawyers had gathered at the Constitution Avenue as well as on the premises of the Supreme Court building, with intent to lodge a protest before the Election Commission of Pakistan.]/b]
Serious clashes took place with the police contingent/law-enforcement agencies, present outside the Public Gate of the Supreme Court building. The police chased them into the Supreme Court building.
The SSP (Islamabad) on duty was asked to withdraw his force from the close proximity of the SC building. They moved back and took position near the Federal Shariat Court building in front of the Supreme Court building.
The registrar noted that it has been widely reported in the press that media persons were also beaten up by the police/law-enforcement agencies in front of the office of the Election Commission.
There are also reports that Minister of State for Information Tariq Azeem was also manhandled in front of the office of the Election Commission. Similarly, Dr Farooq Sattar, MNA, met the same treatment in front of the Federal Government Services Hospital, Islamabad.
**The registrar said that when the lawyers kept agitating and raising slogans, the response from the police was robust/highly excessive. They out-numbered the agitating lawyers. Besides uniformed police, many were in civil dress and missed no opportunity to thrash the agitating lawyers.
In this process, several lawyers received injuries and were brought to the Supreme Court dispensary for first-aid/medical treatment. Some 10-15 more persons from amongst lawyers/civil society were also given medical aid, whose names could not be recorded due to heavy rush of injured persons and their attendants.
After first-aid, some were discharged whereas others were shifted for further diagnoses/treatment to the Federal Government Services Hospital, Islamabad.**
