Defiance in Karachi

Posted on the Peoples Resistance Mailing List

Today when I reached Sindh High Court Bar in the morning, I that the Police were hurdling protestors of JI and Qadir Magsi’s STP in Police vans. Still many defiant activists of JI and STP kept on pestering the police, who used to charge towards them after every few minutes. There were many policemen in plain clothes today as well. After sometime, around 100 lawyers came out of the High Court. Then other activists from LPP and Awami Tehreek also joined in. I along with my fellow IS members also joined in this procession, which started to swell.

We marched from Sindh High Court/Passport Office to the Bus Stop near Rainbow Centre, Saddar. There everybody got organised and got into there respective cars and buses. IS members also got into their cars. And from then on, the procession was great. We went from Quaid’s Mazar to Islamia College, to Jail Chowrangi to NIPA, to Gulshan Chowrangi to Sohrab Goth. It was at Sohrab Goth when we got out of our cars for a little while and chanted slogans and what not. It was great to see the familiar faces of Salahuddin and Noman Qadir (they helped us a lot during the last march till Islamabad). We crossed Al-Asif and were going smoothly when one of cars developed a problem.


We had to stop for 10-15 mins. During this time the whole procession lead by Rasheed Razvi had crossed us, and were headed towards Toll Plaza. Once we got things in order we started again, but suddenly we saw that the police had sealed the road and were not letting anyone through. It was during this time that Activists and Lawyers were beaten up and arrested at toll plaza. It was all planned. When the police would let us through for like 30 mins, Sadly we had to return. Then I got news that Samina Noman, Noman Qadir, Salahuddin, Rasheed Razvi, Munir Malik and LPP Activists including Shela Raza had been arrested.

Amidst all the overnight and todays arrests, amidst all the confusion, Todays Defiance by the Lawyers and Civil Society and Political Parties was Awesome. All Around the city people came out of their buildings and were showing victory signs and filming us with their cell phones, From the numerous smiles that I saw on faces of by-standers, I sensed that they knew in their heart…That a Change is Gonna Come….

Burhan Abro


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Comments

6 responses to “Defiance in Karachi”

  1. Uni Avatar
    Uni

    I know this is awesome and very encouraging, but the sad fact of life is, that that's it!

    You guys made SUCH an effort, and then yet again, the government wins the round! They had the authority to implement section 144… they did. And nobody could do anything about that. They ordered the Toll Plaza road to be blocked. It was blocked! Nobody could do anything about that.

    Kurd sahib is stuck at Sindh border. He's got to spend the night there.. The state machinery is just too brutal… brutally effective I mean.

    I would love to see this march go forward.. But the insults (esp women activists) have been facing so far , leaves a very bad taste in the mouth.

    Anyhow, best best best of luck… We're all praying for you. The cause is great. Let's see how much it goes forward Insha Allah.

  2. temporal Avatar

    all i hope for is a real change not a cosmetic change like we have had dozens of time in the past

    is it possible with the same faces and the same players?

  3. Khaled Avatar

    Intresting

    Awab Alvi and his father Gen Sec of PTI Sindh was not in long march nor arrested.

  4. Khaled Avatar

    Intresting
    Awab Alvi and his father Gen Sec of PTI Sindh was not in long march nor arrested.
    OH! You're my new favorite blogger fyi

  5. dr.jawwadkhan Avatar
    dr.jawwadkhan

    its really unfortunate the general population of karachi distanced itself from such an important issue.

    even though there are people who are committed and showed their presence.i think they deserve respect for working in such a unfavourable circumstances.

  6. Khaled Faroqi Avatar

    People of Karachi, Sindh, Balochistan and NWFP have nothing to do with soo called lawyers movement nor Iftikhar Chaudhry.

    The people running their mouths are sitting inside their air conditions houses, and begging Police to Nab them before punjab.

    The Biggest Supporter of lawyers movement PTI, Gen Sec in karachi not even participated in karachi march nor his great son Awab aka Teeth Maestro ;0)

    The new Fav Blogger also knows who is meeting MQM high ups for their personal matters 😛