October 13, 2024
By Xari Jalil & Asad Mumtaz Rind
KARACHI/LAHORE
Dozens of people were arrested by the Karachi police on Sunday, from outside the Karachi Press Club (KPC), after a protest organised by the Sindh Rawadari Committee (SRC) was held in spite of police claiming that Section 144 had been imposed.
The protesters had at first gathered outside the Teen Talwar area but had later shifted to the press club. The protest has been organized to condemn the extrajudicial killing of Dr Shahnawaz Kunbhar in Umerkot, who had been falsely accused of sharing blasphemous posts on social media and had been shot dead by a police officer on September 19. After an investigation into the killing, Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar had acknowledged that the police had indeed staged the encounter.
‘A PEACEFUL PROTEST’
Speaking to Voicepk, feminist activist Amar Sindhu, representing Women Action Forum and Joint Action Committee (JAC) Hyderabad said there had been no intention of anything but a peaceful protest, but the government had still imposed Section 144 since the night before. She said that the Sindh Rawadari March had displayed a large gathering of progressive voices from across Sindh, including human rights defenders, trade unionists, and feminists, among several others from civil society.
“Because many people had been travelling from across Sindh the protest was not called off, but since morning there has been heavy police deployment,” she said. “The police had also blocked the press club road with containers It should also be mentioned that there was no political party representation—it was a protest held purely by civil society. The police was extremely violent with us charging at us with batons, including women.”
After the arrests, the participants of the protest continued to carry out a sit-in, while some of them went to the police stations to have their friends released. A press conference was also held.
South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Asad Raza spoke to reporters outside the press club saying that so far 20 people had been detained, including rights activist and PTI leader Ali Palh, Soorath Sindhu, and others. When Karachi South Deputy Commissioner (DC) Altaf Sario visited the Press Club, the President of KPC, Saeed Sarbazi told him that Sectio 144 did not apply to it as it was designated a ‘Hyde Park Venue’ and protests were not prohibited there. The DC argued that Section 144 was in place because of the possibility of rioting and other forms of violence in Sindh, not just in Karachi. He also said that the reason was that at this time there were foreign leaders visiting Islamabad, and such a situation could create a terrible image for the country. (The Shanghai Cooperation Summit is to begin in the capital city and international leaders have begun arriving).
HRCP CONDEMNS
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) also expressed serious concerns over the arrests of several persons associated with the Sindh Rawadari March by Karachi police while attempting to hold a peaceful assembly.
“HRCP is greatly concerned to learn that at least 37 protestors (including women) associated with the Sindh Rawadari March have been arrested by the Karachi police while attempting to hold a peaceful assembly to demand justice for the murder of Dr Shahnawaz Kunbher. The police have also attempted to arrest HRCP chairperson Asad Iqbal Butt and warned him not to speak to the press. We fear further arrests through the day,” said the Commission in a statement this afternoon. HRCP member Riaz Chandio’s home was also raided by the police. HRCP demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the detained persons and give passage to the Sindh Rawadari March to continue.
“We strongly condemn the arrest of HRCP Sindh vice-chair Qazi Khizer Habib and numerous other protestors at the Sindh Rawadari March, including trade union leader Zahra Khan and rights activists Sorath Lohar, Ali Palh and Jami Chandio,” said HRCPs statement. ” The conduct of the police, who have baton-charged and assaulted protestors, including young women, is inexcusable. The Sindh government must take immediate notice of this incident.”
PFUJ CONDEMNS
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) strongly condemned the police action against the Rawadari March.
The president of PFUJ Afzal Butt and Secretary General Arshad Ansari said that it was a matter of great concern that at least 37 protestors, including women, associated with the Sindh Rawadari March, were arrested.
“The participants of the march were peacefully assembling to demand justice for Dr. Shahnawaz Kunbher,” they said. “It was their democratic right to protest peacefully but the police employed sledgehammer tactics against the protesters of the march.”
The statement said that it was shameful that the police attempted to detain HRCP chairperson Asad Iqbal Butt and warned him against speaking to the press.
“We demand immediate and unconditional release of those arrested, including HRCP Sindh vice-chair Qazi Khizer Habib, trade union leader Zahra Khan, and human rights activists Sorath Lohar, Ali Palh, and Jami Chandio.”
They called upon the Sindh government to take swift notice of this incident and ensure accountability.
“Suppressing such (progressive) voices will bring nothing to Sindh government except disrepute.”
The two leaders said that the police not only used heavy handedness against protesters, it also laid siege of Karachi Press Club besides harassing media persons and preventing them from performing their duties.
“We also demand IG Sindh to account for those who are involved in harassing journalists and preventing them from performing their professional duties.”