This photo is from today’s Dawn. It shows protesting lawyers damaging public property in Multan.
The ability to protest against that which they consider unjust is everybody’s right. But there is a fine line between peaceful protest and anarchy. Damaging property is definitely wrong and serves no one’s interest. It certainly does not serve the interest of the lawyers movement for democracy.
Violence is clearly wrong. It becomes no less or no more wrong when it is committed by protesting lawyers than when it is done by government against the same protesting lawyers. Just as we have called out against violence committed against protesters by government agencies, we must also call out aginst violence committed by them.
Anger is neither a strategy nor an excuse. The principle is a clear one: Wrong is wrong, no matter who does it and no matter why.
Other thing this board has almost 90 percent posts by people are against Mushraf. Very strange I was att BBC board and 90% posts are in favor of Mushraf.
@Daktar
The question here is not supporting the violence, question is very simple , the post in question is at the very least “highly biased” , the writer of this post has given one side of the story in a highly provactive manner. And don’t tell me that in the picture of “young man protesting for his missing father ” the police side of story was not given :).
There is no question of promoting violence or asking for use of violent means to show your anger , nobody is doing that. Only question is that should a person be allowed to give a single sided face of “public anger” and completely ignore the brutality of police in the same clash.
I won’t object if the writer of this post just place the pictures of police brutalities, alongside this picture and may condemn the behavior of some of these people involved in this rioting.
PejMistry and friends, you are a funny lot.
The piture was originally published in Dawn. Right?
So, why is it OK if Dawn publishes it but not OK if a blog reproduces it?
ATP guys, have to hand it to you. People really think you are influential, even more influential than Dawn, that they want to influence your views on this. You guys really have a following, man!
I believe if Mafia makes the money by fooling people or from drugs and then later use it for good some times thats the only option left outside. USA is world power can eliminate the whole world withen few hours. Smart people will be friends with USA. Why not? If you can be friend with USA and become strong country in the process why not? Mushraf is doing just that but it makes many unhappy. You can see their anger on this board.
Having been a long-time reader of ATP, I read the comments here and they are EXACTLY the same as comments on earlier posts showing violence by police. The only difference is that a different set of people are justifying violence this time. Otherwise there is no difference at all between those who support violence by government and those who support violence against government. What is even more disturbing than this picture or the one of the young man protesting for his missing father whose shalwar was pulled down is the fact that so many people on both sides are so willing and eager to use violence as the solution. That is really really disturbing.
I believe we have to decide not only which side of the issue we are on but also which tactics we are with. I am with Aitizaz Ahsan and Munir Malik when they call for peaceful non-violent protest. I am with those doing candlelight vigils in Karachi. I am with those sending flowers to the judges. I am against those who adopt violent means, whether they are from ISI or over-heated jialla types.
For Mr. Wajid Malik just read all the links in the link below…. let me know if you need for evidence.
http://pakistaniat.com/2007/11/05/pakistan-chronol ogy-emergency-political-meltdown-musharraf-benazir /
Now, lets hear about when you spoke up!
Well said, pejamistri. I completely agree. This post needs to be either amended wholesale or better yet, simply taken down.
ATP Admins: After hundreds of protests where the lawyers were trying to protests peacefully and were beaten up mercilessly, you focus on the ONE where the lawyers gave back as good as they got. Shameful, absurd and disgusting! Your bias is nauseating. This blog’s coverage of the current crisis has been decidedly ambivalent and nothing short of embarrassing which is very disappointing. Mushrraf has run over the constitution, has illegally arrested the judges, has tortured lawyers and is running the country like it is his personal jageer.
Can you please do a story where you post the picture of Ghazala Minallah, the daughter of great Justice Safdar Shah, where she was singled out, beaten mercilessly and suffered head wounds when she was doing nothing but participating in a peaceful protest? What was her crime? That she wrote a letter to Benazir Bhutto asking her to grow a conscience? Was that worthy of having her head opened up with a lathi charge? There are pictures floating around the net. Why aren’t they here? Why don’t you do a story on a defenseless woman being singled out, targeted and beaten by Musharraf’s gestapo? They are targeting even the daughters of justices and wives of lawyers and yet you preach non-violence to us. Remarkable!
Owais Mughal sahib when you go out and protest (if you do at all), please feel free to take the lathi charge “peacefully”. Please take as many beatings at the hands of Musharraf’s gestapo as you like but until you do that, please keep your hollow lectures on morality, non-violence, etc to yourself.
Long live the lawyers! Long live the non-PCO judges - the only, real judges! Long live these Pakistani heroes!
@Wajid Malik
In past many came did things against laws and left country with billions of dollars. we are used to this. Now this President does things and break laws with out taking billions of dollars out of country but he brought in more than 10 billion dollars in the country. Relax buddy and give us options if Mushraf leaves? Our country is not messed up because of people of Pakistan , Its messed up because outsiders playing with our mind.
Do not think this mess will be fixed over night , Let Mushraf establish the base first. Basic things need to put on place before corruption leaves Pakistan.Mushraf is Pakistani citizen , A solder he knows how to defend Pakistan on border now he is taken a role to put Pakistan to top , give him the chance. Please do not act like enemy of Pakistan.