Re: Pakistan shut’s down to protest Mush and MQM
Protests against Musharraf continue, from all across society
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\05\18\story_18-5-2007_pg13_1
Thousands rally against govt on The Mall
LAHORE: Thousands of lawyers, students, doctors, teachers and workers of political parties and non-government organisations protested on The Mall on Thursday.
They shouted slogans against President Pervez Musharraf and the government and in support of Supreme Court Chief Justice Chaudhry Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. The protestors held black flags and banners praising the chief justice and denouncing Musharraf.
The protestors also shouted slogans in favour of doctors, teachers and lawyers uniting for a common cause. Doctors and teachers told lawyers that they would cooperate with their movement against the presidential reference against the chief justice.
Before the rally, the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) held a general house meeting where acting president Firdous Butt told lawyers not to cross the Punjab Assembly. Lawyers had at an earlier rally marched up to the Governor’s House, shouting anti-government slogans.
Delegations of the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) and All Pakistan Professors and Lecturers Association joined the lawyers during the general house meeting.
Prof Dr Yasmin Rashi, PMA representative, told the meeting that the association would set up medical camps for lawyers at future rallies. She said the nation was proud of the chief justice for not bowing down to a military dictator. She said she was not at the protest represent doctors, but to represent Pakistani citizens.
She said the PMA had decided to participate in every rally from now on. She also said doctors who could not participate the rally would wear black armbands on their job.
After the speeches, the LHCBA took out its rally and merged it at GPO Chowk with the rally taken out by the Lahore Bar Association from Aiwan-e-Adal. LBA president Sayyed Muhammad Shah led the rally from Aiwan-e-Adal.
Workers of the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf, Pakistan People’s Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, Pakistan Tehrik-e-Khaksaar, Islami Jamiat Talaba, Labour Party and Jamaat-e-Islami also joined the main rally at GPO Chowk.
The rally then moved towards the Punjab Assembly. There were many women, mostly lawyers, among the protestors.
LHCBA had arranged for a van, which protestors boarded and shouted slogans against the government. The Evacuee Property Trust Board arranged a truck to provide water to the protestors. Women lawyers boarded the truck, which took them to the assembly. The PML-N had arranged a van, which was also carrying water for the protestors. PPP workers participated in the rally on a jeep, which was decorated with party flags. The LBA had also arranged for a van. Workers of various NGOs threw petals on the protesters during the rally.
Protestors sat in front of the Punjab Assembly for more than half an hour. LHCBA vice president Butt, secretary Sarfaraz Cheema, finance secretary Ruby Hayat Awan, LBA president Shah and PPP MPA Rana Mashhood addressed the participants. They also burned portraits and an effigy of Musharraf and several government banners.
The protestors heeded to the acting LHCBA president’s call and did not march towards the Governor’s House, which was cordoned off. There was a heavy police presence around the rally, but the police and protestors did not clash.
LHCBA president Ahsan Bhoon did not participate the rally and had told LHCBA lawyers to return as early as possible. LBA lawyers stayed at the assembly for longer than usual. Some lawyers alleged that Bhoon had deliberately avoided the rally because he was helping the government fail the lawyers’ movement.
Later, the protestors walked back to GPO Chowk, where they protested for a bit and dispersed. Black flags were seen on rooftops and stickers were seen on the doors of various bar rooms. All lawyers were wearing black armbands.
Lawyers boycotted court proceedings the whole day and set up three hunger strike camps.
you mean they will empty national reserves to a point that it won’t need protection? They will ‘ally’ with all enemies, sell out lands/areas/controls so it won’t need protection?