A few days ago I highlighted this wrong, but today after after seeing photos of policemen mercilessly beating an unarmed lady, I am again left speechless at this shameful violence.
We at ATP have long worried about the senselessness of the violence (physical, psychological, verbal, social) that seems to keep growing in our society. All violence is bad, violence by the state is especially disturbing.
We strongly condemn this police brutality. Whoever is ordering such treatment of protesters is definitely taking people away from the ideals of Pakistan. How do you expect this poor lady (or her family or anyone seeing this) to trust the state after getting such a thrashing at the hands of the states law-enforcers? Those who are responsible to safeguard our dignity.
Police reform is the cry of the day. They absolutely need a crash course in human dignity and how to tackle protesters in a civilized way. Mercilessly beating ladies (or on anyone as a matter of fact) is inhuman and not part of our culture, or of any culture. No matter what one thinks about the protesters or what they are protesting, this violence by the police is wrong and shameful. We all must condemn it.
Police or their higherups should see how much anger is building up in people who are not afraid of confronting them with bare hands. This anger needs a channel such as allowing peaceful protest or it will spill out in wrong kind of violence as it probably happened the other day in Multan.
Whether we agree with protesters or not, peaceful protest is their right. Treat humans - all humans, everywhere - with dignity. If we do not, then our own dignity is compromised.
Yes we living in overseas are very frustrated for the love of Pakistan.I agree people who live in Pakistan they see better inside situation of Pakistan, but we who live overseas see better out side situation. First time ever Pakistan was discussed positive in business community worldwide.Rating by Wall street and other business organizations been upgraded.
Now this was seen as huge positive by overseas Pakistanis.
Inside Pakistan if this government was civilians and people were not happy like they are not happy with Mushraf. Many of you will be praying army take over. Problem this time is its army no other place to go.
Yes this is sad to see we have no credible leader after Mushraf leaves. This is sad and trust me our heart is with Pakistan.
We love all the people of Pakistan and we want to see you all happy. But it also hurts to see the some elements are emotional and do not show responsibility when country is micro scoped by international community.
Country is like a family try to resolve family problems with out making too much noise.And if next door neighbor hears anything they hear something which make sense and they say well this is same story in every home.Other wise neighbors are going to make Tamasha and fun of you and your family.
Lets discuss the solutions not that we are focused on complains and complains nothing else.
Some who want to show these images to America and want aid to be cut good going. Many people in Pakistan are not civilized like Americans and they understand that. They know that corruption police before you show images of Pakistan to America first reach to their level.
One can not trust anything happening in Pakistan. Because so much ant Mushraf Propaganda and conspiracies going on.
Amazing to see joy of many of you by looking at these pics.
Yes these women should sit home when country is under attack.
@AM, totally agree with you brother.
Musharraf is being blamed for everything,we should blame this policeman who doesn’t have any respect for women and partially these protesters who broke the baricades.
This comes down to the education and our failure as a society.
Amen
“PS: Are there any pictures that show the women actually being hit - because all I see here are people with their Lathis raised, not actually hitting - and who is to say the hits were not mere taps? Just curious on this point.”
subhanallah.
hope your family members get treated like that one day. then, I will ask you to show me a video of the lathis hitting your family member. still photos of raised lathis and people trying to save themselves will not do.
Owais sahib, there is still no comparison between this act of brutality versus what the lawyers did. as someone said before, there is a difference between the violence by the oppressor and the violence by the oppressed. the lawyers have been copping inhumane beatings for a long time. if they gave a little back to the dictator’s dogs, I for one fully support them.
Perhaps, but given the charged-up atmosphere and the pent-up frustration going back 60 years, I should think that you would forgive the protesters the odd broken barricade… :)
One other thing, it really is quite pathetic how Musharraf has to be dragged into everything, and very intellectually dishonest of som eto ignore the fact that the issue of police brutality is not one of Musharraf’s making, but has existed in Pakistani society for long - including during the “not so Golden years” of the “Great BB and NS”. Blaming Musharaf does nothing but hijack the discussion from the real issue - how to reform the police system and make it both autonomous and accountable.
The same thing has been done with Terrorism in Pakistan - with people hiding behind “blame Musharraf” rather than accepting the fact that we have people in this country who would kill innocents and challenge the writ of the state to impose their evil and medieval ways. So instead of figuring out how to present a united front to the terrorism monster, we have to listen to canards like “democracy will solve everything” and “stop killing our Muslim brothers”. Pathetic and intellectually dishonest all of it!
Topsy-turvy Paksitan
Yesterday I was reading Richard III by Shakespear and there were few lines that depicted a true picture of Pakistan. A society where noble, honest and integral people such as Aitizaz Ahsan, Ali Ahmed Kurd, Munir malik, Chief Justice Iftikhar Choudary and his fellow judges are either behind bars or put under house arrest and all sycophants, hypocrites, dishonest, corrupt and law breakers are holding the heighest offices in the land of pure. I deliberatly missed out the names of sycophants, hypocrites, dishonests, corrupts and law breakers because the list will be endless.
Let me share those line with you to understand the travesty of justice.
The world is gone so bad
That wrens make pray where eagles dare not perch.
Since every jack became a gentleman
There’s many a gentle person made a jack.
(1.3.69-72)
However I for one longing for day to end this drama with Musharraf saying,
A horse, a horse! My kingdom for a horse!
(5.4.7-10)
http://uk.360.yahoo.com/imranbhatt
Shaji says:
“The protesters broke the first barricade after which the police got active and started pelting them from afar. Protesters responded in kind which was followed by tear gas shelling.”
Why did the protesters break the first barricade? The other day there was a story of how lawyers ransacked the quarters of one of their colleagues who “dared” to swear an oath under the PCO. The protectors were just as much at fault for “breaking the law”, and inciting the police, as were the police for resorting to excessive “lathi charges”.
The protesters had the option of keeping their protest peaceful, as Shaji points out it was until the first barricade was broken. If they choose not to, don’t go around whining about it. You can only expect “dignity” if you offer it first, and the protesters did not.
PS: Are there any pictures that show the women actually being hit - because all I see here are people with their Lathis raised, not actually hitting - and who is to say the hits were not mere taps? Just curious on this point.