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Posts tagged with: Arrest
May 31, 2009    |       8 comments

Peaceful Anti-War Protestors, Harrassed & Arrested

People’s Resistance, a civil society coalition of students, professional and ordinary citizens strongly condemns police violence and arrest of peaceful anti-war protestors in Quaidabad, Karachi today, on grounds that the right to peaceful dissent has been violated.

The march had been organized by The Jang Mukhalif Committee comprising several local groups that have been protesting this operation since August 2008. The committee included the Bajaur Committee of Peoples Resistance, Labor Party Pakistan, International Socialists, Swat Quami Ittehad, Anjumani-i-Buner, and many neighbourhood groups.

At 6:15pm a disproportionately large police force, several hundred in number, baton-charged the protestors and even the cart-pullers and other people present in Quaidabad and later near Gul Ahmed Chowrangi. Fifteen protestors were arrested and shifted to the Shah Latif Police Station and Quaidabad Police Chowki. Panic spread in the area.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBfxBe7BPpk[/youtube]
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May 1, 2009    |       4 comments

Update: Detained Pakistani Students at Manchester

Guest Blog by Amjad Malik, barrister representing the detained Pakistani students in Manchester

police-outside-a-house-in-manchester-following-arrest-of-10-pakistanisI was asked by Pakistan High Commission to represent 4 out of 10 Pakistani national students currently detained at Manchester prison who are threatened of deportation on national security grounds.

They are being deported on grounds of posing threat to national security of UK as being concerned in Islamic extremist activities and for the reason that they were investigated under terrorism Act 2000 since 8 April 2009. Though no charges were brought under criminal proceedings and on 21 April, they were released from criminal investigation to UK Border Agency who initiated immigration deportation proceedings.

If they choose to appeal their deportation orders, they will have a free standing right of appeal before ‘Special Immigration Appeals Commission’ which was set up under SIAC Act 1997.
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Mar 3, 2009    |       9 comments

Mass arrests likely in the days leading upto the Long March

Reports are emerging across a few networks that there are likely to be mass arrests across the country leading up to the Long March slated to arrive in Islamabad on March 16th. Indications arise from the latest decision by Mr. Asif Zardari to setup mobile courts on Sunday by promulgating an ordinance to amend the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, authorizing setting up of mobile courts and appointing district magistrates across the country, the timing of which is suspiciously linked to an attempt to quench the build up of massive support in th following two weeks.

Justice (retd) Tariq Mehmood thought the ordinance was aimed at suppressing the PML-N and the lawyers’ movement. “As a lawyer, I think that these courts will work as military courts worked during martial law period, which could not last long,” he remarked

So in short, could this be a another form of Martial Law that we saw in 2007 under the watchful eye of Pervaiz Musharraf. It seems the battle has just resumed yet again

Sep 5, 2008    |       18 comments

Dr. Aafia Indicted on Murder Charges but No Terrorism Charge

A US court on Tuesday announced the indictment of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui for allegedly attacking US agents who went to interrogate her after she was arrested by local police in Afghanistan. 

Dr. Aafia Siddiqui faces

  1. One count of attempting to kill US nationals abroad;
  2. One count of attempting to kill US officers and employees;
  3. One count of armed assault of US officers and employees;
  4. One count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence; and
  5. Three counts of assault of US officers and employees.

If convicted, Siddiqui faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on each of the attempted murder and armed assault charges; life in prison on the firearm charge; and eight years in prison on each of the remaining assault charges

Interestingly the U.S. intelligence officials have told Pakistani officials in past weeks that there is coercive evidence in their possession linking the Pakistani scientist to terrorism and Al Qaeda, surprisingly no such charge has been brought against her

Daily Times also adds two possible reasons for this: “one that the prosecution is fairly confident that it can obtain a conviction without charging her with terrorism; and, two, that the prosecution does not want to disclose information that would have had to be made public were Siddiqui to be charged with terrorism.” – truly this is hogwash B.S
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Aug 21, 2008    |       40 comments

Nayyar Zaidi Missing

Guest Post by temporal who blogs at Baithak

Veteran journalist (daily Jang & Geo TV) and broadcaster (with VOA at one time) Nayyar Zaidi is missing according to a report filed by another veteran journalist Khalid Hasan from DC. Nayyar also had a history of launching a multi-million dollar suit against the FBI.

WASHINGTON: Nayyar Zaidi, the well-known US-based Pakistani-American journalist, who has been a citizen of the United States for more than 30 years has been in US custody for the last four months on what are said to be terrorism-related charges.According to one report, Zaidi is being held on the charge of “obstruction of justice”, a very serious offense. He is also said to be awaiting a trial. [more here]

While pursuing this story I came across this hand written note by Nayyar Zaidi from Federal Detention Center, dated August 8, 2008.

There is also another blog entry by Irshad Salim which alleges that Nayyar Zaidi was arrested by Ohio Police for “teen sex” charges.
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Aug 9, 2008    |       44 comments

Dr. Afia’s health serious – bullet wound, kidney removed & battered nose, children missing

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information that due to a bullet wound and removal of one kidney, Dr. Afia Siddiqui health is in a serious condition, but no medical assistance has been provided to her whilst she has been in American custody in New York.

ACTION ALERT

Send an automated appeal letter to the concerned authorities using the AHRC system

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Aug 8, 2008    |       5 comments

Actual sworn charges filed by FBI against Dr. Afia Siddiqui

The text of the actual sworn charges filed in the Southern District of New York by Mehtab Syed, Special Agent for FBI. Where she alleges that Afia Siddiqui was arrested in Afghanistan on July 27th and then had a tussle with the interrogating officers where she got shot in the torso read the entire charge sheet where Afia is charged under the Title 18 of United States Code section 111 (Assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees) and 1114 (Protection of officers and employees of the United States)

Download the original PDF file
Complaint lodged by FBI against Afia Siddiqui

Until we obtain the full text extracted from the PDF file here are the images click the thumbnails to read the larger version

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Jul 18, 2008    |      Comments Off on Brief Account: Sindh High Court demo and arrests

Brief Account: Sindh High Court demo and arrests

A major show of renewed vigor, strength and conviction in the lawyer and civil society movement for judiciary was demonstrated outside Sind High Court this evening. 23 lawyers and civil society members were brutalized and arrested out of over 250 while they were holding a peaceful protest on self-proclaimed Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar’s visit to Sind High Court.

Those arrested included lawyers from SHCBA, KBA and 6 citizens from PEOPLE’S RESISTANCE.

PCO Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar was visiting Karachi on the last leg of his public relationing tour of Sind. Thursday being the regular protest day for restoration of judiciary, the current PCO Sind High Court organized his visit in the dark of night so that lawyers and civil society members could not come in numbers.

Despite the timing, at about 9 pm, over 250 lawyers and citizens gathered about 500 feet away from the main Sind High Court buildings. They held a passionate demonstration raising slogans in favor of non-functional judiciary and against the foot dragging by the government on their restoration. They were stopped by a large posse of police in riot gear led by two DSPs by creating a wall in front of them. The police asked protesters to disperse saying that their protest has been recorded and asked some lawyers to tell their colleagues that “you are already on TV, now you must go”. Hearing this message, there was an uproar of naaras (slogans) of “High Court or Jail !!”.
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Jul 18, 2008    |      Comments Off on Arrests outside Sindh High Court

Arrests outside Sindh High Court

Several lawyers and civil society activists have been arrested while protesting against PCO judge Dogar’s visit to the Sindh High Court on Thursday night.

Those arrested include Naeem Qureshi of Karachi Bar Association, K.K. Javed, Salahuddin Ahmed, Riaz Ahmed, Noor, Ayub Qureshi, Noman Qadir, Samina Noman and Anis Haroon. They area reportedly being taken to Predy Police Station.

The lawyers and members of the civil society held a strong protest demo for about one and a half hour outside the SHC and some of them succeeded in reaching its back entrance where a large number of security personnel baton-charged them and made the arrests.