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.
This is happenning since forever. It is not new. It will not change. Everyone has been condemning it since forever, and this still not changes. So bottom line ….. it will not change.
And to everyone who says that this will change now, you have been saying the same thing since forever.
@Nayab Ahmad
Russia’s economy has improved because of the rising oil prices and not because of any structural changes brought by Putin. Such growth of more than 7% per annum since 2000, based on rise on commodity prices is not sustainable and would soon vanish once the oil prices stabilize. The same growth would have happened no matter who ruled Russia.
@Omar
I only know about two IGs. IG Islamabad and IG Sindh. IG Sindh is a retired Major and IG Islamabad was earlier suspended for committing violence against the lawyers and the journalists and was re-instated right after Musharraf got himself secured after imposing the martial law. The IG Islamabad was the former IG Punjab. One can’t expect at least these two IGs to resign against any unjust orders of Musharraf. I don’t know about other IGs.
@Ahmad R. Shahid
I agree to a certain extent with your argument. However being part of the executive doesn’t mean you have to carry out every illegal order of the executive. Point I was trying to make was that if our generals, bureaucrats and police officials were really beholden to the constitution and devoted to upholding the rule of law, they would have the moral courage to not allow Musharraf to exploit them for his own cynical means.
It is very encouraging to see civil society face up to the brutalities of the state, but at the same time it also is extremely discouraging to see the that there hardly seems to be a soul within the executive who has the decency to refuse to obey the illegal rulings of our despotic President. If nothing else a few symbolic resignations from a handful of govt. officials would have convinced the rest of us that there still exist honorable men within the corridors of power in Pakistan.
Aitzaz Ahsan arrested again and transfered to unknow location. (Geo News).
@ Lahori
Mr Lahori you misinterpreted my comment. It was a satire borrowed from Shakespeare where I used symbolism of ‘devil’ for Musharraf and his regime as ‘burning thorne’.
To read have full text please visit my blog at
http://uk.360.yahoo.com/imranbhatt
One thing that comes out in Musharraf’s address after his imposition of the martial law (which he called an emergency) is that the police should not be held accountable because it shatters their morale.
Nayab Sahib, I assume you are joking with your comment about Putin. If so, its a poor joke and if it is not a joke then its even mroe pathetic.
Have you read the TIME story on Putin… his being the MAN OF THE YEAR is NOT an honor it is an insult. Remember, Hitler was also declared Time’s Man of the Year for the same reason. Not because he is was good but because Time considered him a danger to the world. That is exactly what TIME is saying about Putin now.
I guess from your message that people who see despots as heros look at the world very different from normal humanity. No, I do NOT want a Putin. Nor a Hitler. Nor Musharraf. Never.