What kind of accomodation such blantant display of heavy-handedness is supposed to Pakistan to?

The series of mishaps from 9 March to 12 May and 10 September to 29 September suggest that this bunch is perennially disposed to display power rather than flexibility that true statesmanship requires.

29 September manifests how those claiming to have established enlightened moderation in Pakistan gave its goons a free hand to suppress free expression.

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.

Sohail Khan adds:

The lawyers’ community had announced to besiege the building of the Election Commission of Pakistan on September 29 on the occasion of the scrutiny of nomination papers of President Musharraf.

When the first rally of lawyers led by Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan, Munir A Malik and Ali Ahmed Kurd moved to the Election Commission, it was intercepted by a large contingent of police near the Election Commission building and severely baton-charged. Later, stones were pelted on the lawyers and tear gas shells fired. As a result, about 20 lawyers, including Ch Aitzaz Ahsan, were injured. The lawyers’ community retaliated by pelting stones on the police. Ali Ahmed Kurd and some other lawyers were also severely beaten. They were later arrested and taken to some unknown place.

Earlier, Ali Ahmed Kurd, before moving to the premises of the Election Commission, burnt the Friday’s order of the Supreme Court allowing President Musharraf to contest the presidential election. He bitterly criticised the decision of the six judges of who had declared the petitions as not maintainable.

In the meantime, a group of lawyers also held ‘Ghaibana Namaz-e-Janaza’ wherein a lawyer prayed loudly, “O Allah, please take away Pervez Musharraf, take away Attorney General Malik Qayyum.” Later, they chanted anti-government slogans and ‘Go Musharraf Go.’

A large number of lawyers and members of the civil society gathered outside the Supreme Court building and waited for the arrival of more people so that they could move to the Election Commission.

Our crime correspondent adds: A press note issued by the district magistrate Islamabad says: “The district magistrate Saturday has issued a press note claiming that the overall law and order situation in the district is normal and under control. High state of alert is being maintained. All key installations are under security cover. Normalcy has been restored.

“In accordance with the election schedule notified by the Election Commission of Pakistan, the scrutiny of nomination papers was held on 29.09.2007 in the Election Commission. APDM and lawyers had given a call to arrange protest demonstration and threatened to besiege the Election Commission. They also announced to disrupt the scrutiny process. The threatening statements of lawyers and APDM leaders also appeared in electronic media and press.

“In order to avert any untoward situation and to maintain law and order, effective security arrangements were made in the jurisdiction of ICT, especially on the Constitution Avenue. Section 144 Cr.P.C. was also imposed in the district for maintenance of public peace and order. The objective was to ensure smooth conduct of the scrutiny of the nomination papers by the Election Commission of the presidential candidates and to maintain peace and order. However, it is important to mention here that no major roads were blocked and particularly the Constitution Avenue, Ataturk Avenue remained opened for general public.

“In pursuance of the directions of the Minister for Interior and Secretary Interior, special meetings were also held with agents of the candidates and code of conduct was finalized in connection with the scrutiny process.

“The proceedings commenced peacefully. However, at about 10.15 a.m. when the chief minister Punjab cavalcade passed in front of the gate of the Supreme Court a group of lawyers who had mostly come from various Bar Councils from adjoining districts present in vicinity of the Supreme Court attempted to stop the cavalcade and raised slogans. The charged group rushed towards the Election Commission offices. The law-enforcement agencies tried to stop them but despite repeated reminders they were adamant to force their entry into the Election Commission office to sabotage the scrutiny process. As a result of this, the scuffle occurred between the lawyers, activists of political parties and law enforcement agencies. The police had to fire tear gas shells and resort to lathi charge to disperse the crowd. As a result, 64 persons sustained injuries including 13 police officials, Additional Superintendent of Police, 3 MNAs namely Zamurd Khan, Farooq Sattar and Aitzaz Ahsan, 31 lawyers, 10 journalists and 7 other citizens. The injured persons were immediately rushed to the Ploy Clinic and PIMS for treatment.

“The APDM activists also burnt tyres, blocked roads and traffic in Blue Area, Geo Chowk and Radio Pakistan Chowk. It may be pertinent to highlight that Tariq Azeem, Minister of State for Information, was also manhandled by the charged crowd while Farooq Sattar, MNA, who had gone to Poly Clinic Hospital to facilitate the treatment of journalists in the Poly Clinic where angry group of lawyers and activists beat him. As a result, he sustained injuries in the neck, ribs and other parts of the body. He is presently under treatment in the hospital. High-level inquiry has been ordered by the Government to probe the incident.”

It has become a police state, and you will see more events like these in the coming days.

But how long?

Lawyers, media and political workers cannot fight forever. Common man has to come out, otherwise they should keep on suffering from Ata, Cheeni and Ghee.