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Posts tagged with: PR

Ali Ahmed Kurd elected as the SCBA President

Ali Ahmed Kurd yesterday won the elections of the Supreme court Bar Association with a landslide victory uprooting Mohammed Zafar. After the landslide victory Kurd and his entire panel will replace the team of Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, and hopefully continue the aggressive campaign for the independence of judiciary.

Ali Ahmed Kurd clinched a thumping majority of Kurd bagged 1,052 votes out of a total of 1,724 votes. His rival Muhammad Zafar, the nominee of the Peoples Lawyers Forum (PLF) and openly backed by Attorney General Sardar Mohammad Latif Khan Khosa, former attorney general Malik Mohammad Qayyum and Ashraf Wahla group, could secure only 220 votes in Lahore

For the people supporting the rule of law and the independence of Judiciary over the last two years this is definitely a moment of hope to witness that many lawyers still support the movement despite all the negativity over the last years and attempts by many smaller faction to create a rift within the SCBA.


The News reports on PR Seminar with Hamid Mir

Most militants fighting to avenge military actions’
Published in The News: Monday, September 29, 2008

When Corps Commander Ali Jan Orakzai had deployed troops for the first time in Mohmand Agency in 2003, he gave an impression that the military intended to build schools, hospitals and roads there but he rather launched an operation against the militants that ultimately created further problems for civilians, as a result separatist tendency increased there. And this was the beginning of the conflict there.

Senior journalist Hamid Mir said this while speaking at a seminar “Military action in Fata, reality, myths and implications”, held at Justice Cornelius Library of the newly built National Law University, Clifton, on Sunday.

“The concept of Pakistan has almost ended there as the insurgency is taking shape of separatism,” he added.

According to him, there exist around 10-15 militant groups, which are not Taliban and they are not well organized. “They lack command structure and sometimes they also fight with each other. They are insurgents and separatists,” he claimed.
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Peoples Resistance: Seminar on Military Action in FATA

The Peoples Resistance, a civil society group advocating for an independent judiciary and the Supremacy of Law is organizing a Seminar in Karachi on Sunday titled Military Action in FATA; Reality, Myths and Implications.

Basically Pakistan is at war and the US is attacking our borders while the Pakistan military is endlessly engaged in a relentless operation with over 2,000 civilians dead in the last year alone and about 800,000 have been displaced in the Northern areas.

Why is this happening? Who is responsible? What is the real story? What can ordinary citizens do to end this violence?

Seminar: Military Action in FATA; Reality, Myths and Implications
Date: Sunday September 28th, 2008
Time: 2:00 PM
Venue: National Law University, Street 3, Block 4, 26th Streeet, Clifton Karachi
Guests:

  • Hamid Mir (Geo)
  • Rahimullah Yousufzai
  • Mohammad Arif (Refugee from Swat)

For more information call 0333-3464403


KHI: Demonstration against attacks on People in Wazirstan, Bajour, Swat, Kurram Agency

Peoples Resistance, a group of civil society activists and organizations based in Karachi, is organizing a demonstration today against the attacks on Waziristan, Bajour, Seat, Kurrum Agency and other areas in NWFP. These attacks have killed and maimed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands of people. Aurat Foundation and other citizen organizations are also taking part in this jointly organized demonstration.

Location: Karachi Press Club
Date: Saturday 20th September 2008
Time: 4:30pm

Join in and be the voice for all innocent Pakistanis being killed in those regions



We Want: A Fair Trial & Return of Nov 2nd Judiciary

People’s Resistance
Press Release – 18 August 2008

People’s Resistance attributes the resignation of retired General Pervez Musharraf as President of Pakistan to the long and untiring struggle of the Lawyers, students, civil society organizations and political groups. The civil society and media’s struggle against the arbitrary rule of General Musharraf forced the ruling democratic coalition to start the process of impeachment that eventually led to his resignation.

Though we celebrate his resignation, we call for the fair trial of General Musharraf for the long list of crimes against the people of Pakistan including removal of judiciary, abrogating the constitution, forced disappearances, torture and deaths in custody of citizens especially from Baluchistan, and for killing people in Tribal Areas of Pakistan.

In this vein the People’s Resistance demands the immediate restoration of the judiciary to its November 02 composition, as it was before the promulgation of the PCOs suspending the constitution.


KARACHI: Protest to Free Afia – Karachi Press Club – Saturday @ 6:00pm

The Peoples Resistance and numerous concerned members of the Civil Society in Karachi would like to invite YOU, the people of Pakistan to join them in a peaceful protest to appeal for the release Dr. Afia Siddiqui, who was kidnapped from Karachi in 2003 and has since been detained without charge in a US Military jail in Afghanistan. We appeal for speedy justice and her immediate return to Pakistan along with her three innocent children.

Free Afia Protest in Karachi

When: Saturday 9th August 2008
Time: 6:00 PM
Location: Karachi Press Club


ACTION ALERT:

  • Bring your family, friends and colleagues for this noble cause,
  • Bring placards, flags, posters simply appealing for Justice for Dr. Afia Siddiqui and her children.
  • Spread the word far and wide so that more people can participate in this noble and humanitarian effort.
  • Use your influence on the media to spread this message of support for Dr. Afia

Peoples Resistance


Walk in Karachi for Judiciary – 30th April

pr-logo-option-02-1.jpgPeoples Resistance shall hold a demonstration for restoration of judiciary on Wednesday April 30, 2008, at 6 pm at Dalton Market DHA, (in front of Rahat milk shop). Participants will walk down to the Legal Chief Justice of SHC, Mr. Sabihuddin Ahmed’s house for a 30 minute protest.

PR expresses its disappointment that this important issue has not been addressed as promised and would like to reiterate the demand for urgent and unconditional restoration of judiciary. April 30th is the last day of 30-day period committed by two major political parties in Bhurban Declaration for the resolution of this issue.

All concerned citizens /groups are requested to join and show solidarity for the cause of restoration of original judges.

People’s Resistance is a coalition of students, teachers, NGOs, journalists and citizens concerned with restoration of judiciary, freedom of media and restoration of constitution.

Bring banners, placards, flags, T-shirts and your friends!
In a rare quirk of fate if the judiciary is restored on that day, we will mark it as a celebration!

All those in Karachi are requested to join. Please inform all your friends in Karachi.


Authoritarian antics of the Establishment by Arusha Noorani

A truly heartfelt email sent by Arusha Noorani daughter of Kamran Noorani one of the People’s Resistance activists who was arrested outside Justice Bhagwandas’s House two days back. The last paragraph truly reflects the frustrations of practically everyone in Pakistan

My parents were part of a peaceful vigil yesterday outside deposed judge, Justice Bhagwandas’ house, to protest against his virtual house arrest. Police mobiles arrived and picked up some of the men in the group, including my father and Salahuddin Ahmed a close friend (who had previously been arrested in connection with the lawyers movement). They were released late at night after a request was put in, however an FIR was registered against them. They were allegedly disrupting the peace. Sections 147 and 148 of the Pakistan Penal Code deal with rioting and rioting with a deadly weapon (candles???).

Ironic that peace activists are accused of disrupting the peace. What peace? And at what price? Must people barricade themselves in their homes and public figures disappear from the public eye to achieve this peace. I wonder how long this cavalier attitude towards citizens rights will continue.


Pictures of the Peaceful Vigil outside J. Bhagwandas’s House

The People’s Resistance would like to share with the world images from the ‘peaceful’ candle light vigil held outside the house of Justice Rana Bhagwandas who has been placed under house arrest since yesterday. Civil Society members showed up today to show their support and solidarity with the honorable justice during this difficult time. It is during this vigil that police felt the need to arrest eight male members and harrassed the female members.



Report from Darakshan Police Station After the Arrests

I would like to share an email sent into the People’s Resistance network by Abira Ashfaq who managed to sneak inside the poilce station along with Moneeza to help keep an eye on the 8 civil society activsits arrested outside Rana Bhagwandas’s House

So everyone is out. The good news is that many people and the media showed up at the thana. It may not always be a happy ending.

I was inside the police station for at an hour and a half, and they had basically decided they were not going to give us any information or allow Moneeza and myself to see the detainees. We had managed to get in by fluke, and after us they would not let anyone in. In fact they tried to get us out, but we said we’d wait. But they did not allow us privacy when we were on the phone, and followed us around. At one point, the SHO threatened Moneeza that if wanted “vo us ko bahir karah kara de ga.” They maintained that the decision for FIR’s, bail and release would be made at the Clifton thana, and that we should go there. A nice crowd had gathered outside the thana. SHO Ehsan was planning to leave, but when he saw the crowd and our resolve to stay, he decided to stay at the thana.

When we pressed the SHO about why these arrests were made, he was cryptic and said that he knew and I knew why this was happening. And he knew and I knew that I would not be allowed a visit even though that maybe a legal right. He made constant references to invisible hands. We got to talking about the violence after BBs death and he suggested that police did not go out as there would have been bloodshed.
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Update @ 1935: Over 10 arrested outside Bhagwandas House

BREAKING NEWS: At 6:30 donzens of members of People’s Resistance & CMKP staged a peaceful candle light vigil outside the house of Rana Bhagwandas. The members were stationed near the gate of his house holding candles and all off a sudden the lights were switched off in the area and within the darkness the police moved in make arrests to take over 10 particpants into custody. Reports are coming in that they were taken to Darakshan Police station and iwll be released soon.

Arrested include Asad Umar (PR), Lala Hussain (PR), Saad (PR), Kamran Noorani (PR), Danish (CMKP), Faisal (CMKP) & Zafar (CMKP) – more names to follow as we are being confirmed


You and the Consititution : A seminar by People’s Resistance

“CONSTITUTIONALISM AND SOCIAL JUSTICE: WHY THE RULE OF LAW MATTERS TO THE LIVES OF ORDINARY PEOPLE” a discussion talk with Qazi Faez Isa

  • Isnt a constitution supposed to enforce our fundamental rights?
  • Why does it seem to be silent on violations instead?
  • What does the constitution have to say on communal and public property? On labour? On the environment? On sovereignty?
  • Does it make any difference whether a constitution exists or not?
  • How can we get the constitution to protect us?
  • Can it keep being changed at will?
  • Whats wrong with it that it has to be changed?
  • What is a constitution anyway?

These and other questions will be answered and discussed at an Info and Q&A session with Qazi Faez Isa, Barrister-at-Law and Advocate, Supreme Court of Pakistan

Organised by
The Green Economics & Globalization Initiative, SHIRKAT GAH in collaboration with the PEOPLES RESISTANCE

Date: Sunday, 13th January, 2008 (Today)
Time: 4:00 p.m.
Venue: Shirkat Gah Office, Meeting Room (1st Floor),
2 Bath Island Road, Parin Lodge, (near Bridge Store)
Karachi.

We urge you to come and raise your issues.


Pakistans Nuclear Integrity under International threat

Dr Arif Alvi shares his genuine thoughts and concerns of how he percives the buildup of an American threat to our nuclear arsenal. The recent comments and indicators seriously show that it is not too far to imagine that very soon the US will in all likelihood may engage the United Nations (like their false / fake arguments they used to prempt the invasion of Iraq) to help them secure the Pakistani nuclear arsenal and demote Pakistan from the “nuclear club”.

This is a copy of his email to the People’s Resistance network urging them & the citizens of Pakistan to shed their own differences & lobby against such upcoming threats for the sake of Pakistan

  1. First Pak nukes were started as a subject discussion with their falling in wrong hands as a doomsday scenario and a possibility, started deliberately by US neocons, think tanks and the CIA.
  2. Endorsed recently by Bush Administration where they allowed US to intervene in FATA areas when considered necessary.
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Postal workers in Lahore buying Votes for Rs 1,500 ($25) only ?

Vote BribeExposing election rigging is a tough job. as the onus of proof generally lies on the accuser, hence usually very tough to prove, at times opposing parties may even try to set each other up simply to humiliate them and pull a few extra votes in the process, everything seems to be fair in our elections. I on the other hand believe if we hear of any such report, it must be shared with everyone opening the argument to a larger audience, allow the case at hand be scrutinized in the hope that it can be verified or refuted when exposed to a larger reader base, little good will it do lying in my email box, since I cannot physically head out to confirm.

Since yesterday a number of reports have slowly trickled in saying that postal workers specifically in the Gulberg, Lahore going from door to door asking people for their National ID cards in exchange for Rs.1,500 ($25). This story might not be too far fetched, as every person is feeling the economic pressure and any spare change offered by filthy rich candidates does help the poor survive in this crushing economy. I quote an email verbatim, which I has already been forwarded to a number or monitoring agencies in the hope of getting some form of verifications,
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