Peaceful Demonstration in front of Election Commission of Pakistan building, Karachi on September 29, 2007 – the day of scrutiny of the nomination papers of General Musharraf
During the Monthly Meeting of Council Members of HRCP Sindh on September 22, 2007, Ms. Uzma Noorani informed the Council that on September 29, 2007, lawyers would besiege the Election Commission buildings and take out rallies throughout the country to express their resentment on September 29, 2007 – the day of scrutiny of the nomination papers of General Musharraf. Sindh Council of HRCP decided that HRCP would not only participate in the demonstration of lawyers but would also motivate members of JAC and Peoples’ Movement for Justice, to take part in the demonstration.
Mr. Muhammad Ejaz Ahsan, Program Coordinator (PC) and Mr. Asad Iqbal Butt were assigned the responsibility to contact and encourage members of JAC and Peoples’ Movement for Justice (PMJ). PMJ is a network of NGOs, Trade Union Federations, Teachers Associations and several other civil society organizations, has been established for expressing solidarity with lawyers’ struggle for independence of judiciary, rule of law and supremacy of constitution as well as independence of media.
During a meeting of JAC and PMJ, on September 28, 2007, attended by Mr. Asad Iqbal Butt and Program Coordinator HRCP, Ejaz Ahsan, all the members of JAC and PMJ endorsed the decision of HRCP Sindh Council of taking part in the demonstration on September 29, 2007 at 11:00 am.
On September 29, 2007, at about 11:15 am, Council Members of HRCP Mr. Asad Iqbal Butt, Ms. Uzma Noorani, Mr. Amarnath Motumal and members of HRCP, JAC and PMJ started gathering outside the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Karachi within the jurisdiction of the Preedy Police Station, carrying banners and placards with anti-Musharraf slogans.
Ten minutes later, the police baton charged the crowd, pushed 11 of them into police mobiles and took them to the Artillery Maidan Police Station. Those arrested included:
1. Mr. Asad Butt, Council Member HRCP
2. Mr. Makhdoom Ayub Qureshi, National Party
3. Mr. Farid Awan, General Secretary, All Pakistan Trade Union Federation (APTUF)
4. Mr. Yawar Ali, Irtiqa Institute,
5. Mr. Ali Hasan, International Socialists Pakistan (ISPak)
6. Dr. Riaz Ahmed, International Socialists Pakistan (ISPak)
7. Mr. Raheel Iqbal of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)
8. Mr. Manzoor Razi, Central President, Railway Workers Federation
9. Mr. Mahroof Sultan, Karachi United Welfare Association,
10. Mr. Hasan Alia, Freelance Journalist
11. Mr. Ali Raza, International Socialists Pakistan (ISPak)
Program Coordinator HRCP, Ejaz Ahsan and Mr. Abdul Hai, Field Officer (FO) immediately rushed to the Artillery Maidan police station but they were not allowed to see the detainees. Program Coordinator HRCP, Ejaz Ahsan had a telephonic conversation with DSP Mr. Salman, who informed the Program Coordinator that neither any FIR had been lodged against the protestors, nor were any charges being brought against them. DSP Mr. Salman also promised that all the detainees would be released soon.
In the meantime, Mr. Jawed Iqbal Burqi, Advocate HRCP approached the District and Session Judge (South) and filed an application of habeas corpus. District and Session Judge (South) immediately issued a notification No. 2695/2007, ordering Civil Judge and Judicial Magistrate, Mr. Ashique Ali Ghori, to conduct raid at the Artillery Maidan Police Station, and set free anyone who was being detained illegally.
Program Coordinator HRCP, Ejaz Ahsan, Field Officer HRCP, Mr. Abdul Hai and Advocate HRCP with Civil Judge and Judicial Magistrate, Mr. Ashique Ali reached the police station around 3:15 pm where they were informed that an FIR # 551/07 against the 11 detainees had already been lodged at the Preedy Police Station, US 147, 148, 247 and 186 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). Civil Judge and Judicial Magistrate, Mr. Ashique Ali ordered the SHO to get a copy of FIR from Preedy Police Station immediately.
Advocate HRCP pleaded the Civil Judge and Judicial Magistrate, Mr. Ashique Ali that the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had already issued orders for the release of all protesters who had been detained today and all detainees in Islamabad had already been released under this order,”
However, Mr. Ghori maintained that the CJP’s order could not be implemented in Karachi. Moreover, he said, the Artillery Maidan Police Station was out of his jurisdiction, and he had been sent there only with orders to get all illegal detainees released and beyond that, he was not authorized to do anything.
On the objection raised by the Program Coordinator HRCP, Ejaz Ahsan, Civil Judge and Judicial Magistrate, Mr. Ashique Ali said he also did not know why the 11 men were being kept at the Artillery Maidan Police Station, even if an FIR against them had been lodged at the Preedy Police Station. Program Coordinator HRCP, Ejaz Ahsan also requested the Civil Judge and Judicial Magistrate, Mr. Ashique Ali that everyone who wanted to meet the detainees must be allowed to do so and Program Coordinator HRCP, Ejaz Ahsan must be allowed to provide medicines, food, water, fans, blankets and pillows to the detainees. Civil Judge and Judicial Magistrate, Mr. Ashique Ali issued the orders to SHO accordingly.
In the meantime, the 11 men in custody seemed to try to make the best of the situation. Every 15 minutes or so, they’d break out into anti-Musharraf and anti-imperialism slogans. The evergreen “Lathi goli ki sarkar – nahi chalay gee, nahi chalay gee” was interspersed with “General Taiary Zabtay – Ham Nahi Mantay” and “Aamir Taiary Zabtay – Ham Nahi Mantay.
Program Coordinator HRCP, Ejaz Ahsan and Field Officer, Mr. Abdul Hai with the help of Mr. Rizwan Edhi and Mr. Faisal Edhi immediately arranged fans, blankets and pillows for the detainees. Among the detainees, there were two cardiac patients, who were also provided necessary medicines forthwith.
Till midnight, hundreds of human right activists, members of civil society organizations, trade union federations and teachers associations visited the detainees
At midnight Program Coordinator HRCP, Ejaz Ahsan, Mr. Rizwan Edhi and Mr. Faisal Edhi had a meeting with SHO and told him that all the detainees were very respectable citizens and well-known members of civil society. Therefore, the detainees must be allowed to spend night outside the lockup – in the bigger and airy courtyard of police station because the lock-up was much suffocated or Ejaz Ahsan, Rizwan Edhi and Faisal Edhi must be allowed to stay in the lockup with their friends to express their solidarity with them. SHO allowed Ejaz Ahsan, Rizwan Edhi and Faisal Edhi to stay in the lockup with their friends for the night.
On September 30, 2007 at about 10:00 am, Mr. Shahadat Awan Advocate and Mr. Arif Hassan Advocate reached police station and informed the detainees that they had a meeting with Investigation Officer (IO), Preedy Police Station and IO had agreed to release all the detainees on bail. Hence, after completing all the legal formalities, the detainees were released on bail at about 03:00 pm.
