Update @ 2013: Police raids, more arrests and websites blocked

Via an IPS journalist and one of our SMS reporters on the ground:
– The central leader of the Communist Party of Pakistan — Jam Saqi, was away while police raided his house in Hyderababad

– A heavy police contingent is visible outside the Karachi Press Club while PPP activists Saeed Boota, Anis Fatima and Jahanzeb have been arrested.

– Benazir Bhutto’s press conference is now underway in Lahore after having started at 1945 (PST).

– The Government of Pakistan have blocked the website of The News, although Jang and DAWN News are still accessible.

– Deputy General Attorney — Yawar Ali Khan, has resigned from his office on Saturday to protest the imposition of emergency. Khan is the son of former chief justice of Pakistan, Yaqoob Ali Khan, and brother-in-law of Supreme Court judge Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday (one of the non-PCO judges).


Posted

in

, , ,

by

Comments

7 responses to “Update @ 2013: Police raids, more arrests and websites blocked”

  1. Sohaim Khan Avatar

    I believe it is necessary for me to take the responsibility in my hands that I owe to my country. The unimaginable situation in Pakistan has forced me to take some sort of action that might not even be a pinch of salt in the struggle that lies ahead but it has the same importance like the importance of the stone in base of the mountain. It is time for the middle class citizens of Pakistan to stop the policy of inaction and start action at once. The call for action also raises a question about the kind of action(s) required. I will list the fundamental steps that we can take to fill in the gaps which are present in the struggle of the civil society against the establishment and the established dictatorship.

    The eight points for struggle

    1)The citizens of Pakistan must stop waiting for action or charity from others; we as the respectable citizens of our country must have the courage to stand up for ourselves, and for our rights that are preserved in the 1973 constitution of Pakistan.

    2)The time has come for every citizen to spread the word of awareness around about the importance of the rights of the citizens and their civic responsibilities; we must stand with our lawyers who are defending our rights by defending the constitution.

    3)The citizens must not associate themselves with the political interests but the rights and freedoms of all the citizens of Pakistan.

    4)The citizens of Pakistan must not stand still if the government imposes restrictions on basic freedoms by suspending the constitution.

    5)The peaceful protests must be made in mass numbers to demonstrate peoples power to the establishment.

    6)The people of Pakistan must demonstrate that it is their country and they are in control.

    7)There must never be any compromise shown by the people of Pakistan when their civil liberties are at stake.
    8)The independence of judiciary and media are vital to the interests of the people of Pakistan; we as citizens must stand firm with these two institutions to protect their freedom as they serve the interests of the people of Pakistan, and whoever will defend public interest the public will defend them.

    It is time to act now or it is never.

  2. Fahim Ali Avatar
    Fahim Ali

    Read abt more arrests during the emergency that gives a very big detail. Visit:

    http://www.chowrangi.com/mass-arrests-in-the-wake-of-emergency.html

  3. Sohaim Khan Avatar

    I can firmly assure every Pakistani that arrests are going to be made and it is not new. When one is fighting a battle he should also know about hurdles and consequences, the jails of Pakistan are not big enough and the current regime is not strong enought o sustain for a long time. The struggle must continue no matter what. The battles are fought from two sides, of course the other side is not going to sit back and let things happen, we as a civil society must continue our effort and keep the pressure lid on until the demands are fulfilled.

  4. Dr Farrukh Malik Avatar

    […]on jail journey in his individual capacity asserting his support to the suffering of us all. (You can find other updates regarding situation in Pakistan on Awabs[…]

  5. Sohaim Khan Avatar

    The realm of a dictator is always cruel, Pakistan has faced the incidents like these days many times. The difference between the situation in the times of the old dictators and the current dictator in Pakistan is not much, but of significant importance. The incident of 9th of March 2007 changed the harsh political realities in Pakistan when Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry challenged Musharraf’s decision in removing him forcefully from his office as CJP. The move by the CJP to challenge his removal is of vital significance, but more important matter than CJP’s challenge is his honesty, integrity, and his service to the people of Pakistan by delivering them justice. This fight is more than fight of institutions and independence of judiciary of Pakistan, it is about people in power using their positions for the welfare of the people. The reason to support Iftikhar Chaudhry is due to his actions which speak louder than his speeches he made during his rallies to the lawyers and public. Today people are looking for man of actions not a mon of conversations, promises and speeches.The reason why people came out on the streets to support CJP was not because he was against Musharraf, but it was because he responded to the people who faced tyranny in the hands of the system, and the people running that system. The ray of hope came to the public when decisions were made in the light of the constituion for the people of Pakistan to give people justice and not to become the slave of the establishment. There are people who critisize CJP Iftikhar Chaudhry for being the same judge who took the oath uder PCO and refusing to do it the second time, they refer him as a hypocrite, but I say they are ignorant from realising that this is the man who used his office for public good and even though he took the oath uder PCO he served the public of Pakistan. My question to these people remain as why they critisize the CJ for being a hypocrite when General Musharraf has no limit of lying on television openly in front of media. Musharraf has suspended the constituion in a hypocritical way by maintaining his Prime Minister and caninet ministers along with provinsional assemblies. He has banned the media, arrested lawyers,judges,journalists,human rights activists. He suspended basic civil liberties and made Pakistan a police state by passing the army act. He released and neggotiated with the extremist elements in Pakistan; an excuse he used to impose emergency. He put the judges under house arrest and blamed them for releasing the terrorists, whereas he has allowed two current Supreme Court judges to take oath under PCO who were involved in releasing the suspected terrorists. He filled the jails with liberals and emptied them from extremists. Musharraf’s hypocracy by has exposed him in front of the people of Pakistan. Out of 11 billion US dollars per year given to Pakistan $300 million is used to develop a new GHQ over 2000 acres in Islamabad. I can go on and on about the corruption of Musharraf and his government but thats not the point of this article.

    The purpose of this article is to galvanize public support on these points

    1) Restore the Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry back as CJP along with other judges arrested all over Pakistan who refused to take oath under PCO. The puppet judiciary of Musharraf currently working is illegal and not recognized by the people of Pakistan

    2) The freedom of speech and free media and press

    3) Release of all opposition party members,lawyers,civil society members,journalists, and judges

    4) Restoration of 1973 constitution

    5) The removal of Musharraf’s uniform

    6) Free and fair elections under independent election comission(no sham elections under emergency, president in uniform, and without independent judiciary)

    7) Removal of any army act or any other act passed under PCO along with the PCO itself

    There are no legitimate elections without the restoration of independent judiciary under CJP Iftikhar Chaudhry.The times have changed and so are the people, the government must realize that there is no way out other than meeting the demands, Musharraf and his divide and rule policy will not work any more. As for the people of Pakistanis, they must now realize that the only way out of the current situation is by standing up and face the situation by demanding what is ours which has been taken away from us, and to keep the struggle alive and well until these demands are fulfilled.

  6. Sohaim Khan Avatar

    The Pakistan Peoples Party has been on the streets these days and their leadership is under arrest. There are wide disbelieve among the civil society members about the PPP role in the struggle against the establishment and for reinstating the independent judiciary under Iftikhar Chaudhry. Altough BB has already supported the CJP Iftikhar Chaudhry reffering to him as her CJ and as the current CJP of Pakistan but more than words are required to gain the trust of the civil society.BB also announced that she is also happy that Musharraf has announced elections which should be held without emergency. But the civil society in Pakistan is not looking for elections nor they are just satisfied just the lift of emergency, the civil society is looking towards a clear policy by PPP which is no elections without CJP Iftikhar Chaudhry and original pre NOV 3 2007 judiciary. PPP should announce that they are boycotting elections, if they do not do this then their role is always going to be viewed with suspicion by civil society which is the only possible expected reaction. The civil society appreciate the struggle role of PPP members but more than protests is required, civil society wants to see a clear mandate and no hanky panky by the PPP leadership. The civil society wants to know clearly whose camp is PPP

  7. Sohaim Khan Avatar

    The Pakistani civil society continues its struggle for the restoration of pre Nov 3 2007 judiciary and the 1973 constitution. BB deserves applause for her support for the civil society by demanding from General Musharraf to quit as President of Pakistan and even as a civilian he will not be tolerated. BB has also surprised the public by inviting Qazi Hussein, Imran Khan, and the other opposition parties to join in struggle. As the internal struggle proper the west is still not taking significant steps towards opposing Musharraf. The biggest complain is with U.S government which is still buying time in thinking about the possibility of Musharraf controlling the situation in Pakistan which has gone far beyond his control. No matter how many visits U.S ambassadors like Negroponte make to Pakistan, it is clear that their weak dictator ally can not last long, and they must withdraw support from him and back the liberal political forces in Pakistan which is the only solution. Although we are aware of the U.S government’s blunders in supporting dictators like Pinochet and Saddam and many others who saw the fate of the trial or exile, the Bush administration must know that Musharraf’s fate will not be any different, it is just the matter of time. The best advice to the Bush administration would be to cease their support to Musharraf and support liberal political parties in Pakistan, as these parties will be having legitimacy under the establishment of independent judiciary. The legitimate political parties by the support of the people can combat terrorism much easier than a dictator who has no legitimacy and have lost control of his own country in the north to the extremists. The civil movement in Pakistan is led by the Liberal camp which must be considered by the U.S. If the U.S supports this movement they will see the rise of new liberal Pakistan where supremacy of the rule of law shall be established. The establishment of the rule of law will put a great dent in the extremist’s movements in Pakistan.
    The U.S must know that the times have changed in Pakistan, when Musharraf showed progress on the war on terror, it was the time when people supported him and his new policies, but as time went by the regime have lost support and people are looking for change. The most important issue in the U.S foreign policy should be stable Pakistan, and the Bush administration must know that Pakistan can never be stable under a dictator. The removal of Musharraf is in the interest of the U.S for their mission on war on terror. The Bush administration must look at a legitimate political leader in Pakistan to work with.