Adil Najam
The way that the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court was removed was bad enough. But what has happened since then is even more disturbing.
The Chief Justice removed. Media being muzzled. Lawyers protesting beaten up.
One can debate whether Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry should have been removed or not, or even whether the way he was removed was appropriate or not. But there is no question that the way the government is dealing with this issue is shameful, distressing, and dangerous.
The shamefulness is obvious in these pictures; just as it was when a young man’s shalwar was taken off as he protested ‘disappearances’ some months ago. It is distressing because it demonstrates the sanctity of our most important institutions – the judiciary and the media – is under stress. It is dangerous because if one keeps slipping down this road then it is not merely the future of this government but that of the entire country that will be at stake.
Whether the lawyers here instigated the violence or not, I do not know. They very possibly did, and that is itself disturbing. But that is not the point. The question is how a society and a state deals with dissent and protest. Once again, the answer is: “Shamefully.”
I do not know who is advising the government on all of this. I just pray that someone is. I hope there is someone who stands up and says:
“Don’t do this.
Please don’t do this.
This is not good for you.
This is not good for the country.
This cannot be good for anyone.
Please – for God’s sake – STOP!”
I wish I had something more profound to say right now. But as I stare at these pictures and this video clip, I hold my head in shame; I am distressed; and I ponder on the dangers before us.
All I can think of right now is: “Allah khair karey!”
(Also see a BBC video report here. All pictures above from BBC website; video from GEO News).ÂÂÂ
According to todays Dawn , more shameful. It is all from enlighten, secular, modern, anti – Mullah, highly western educated people
TV channels off air for airing protest
By Amir Wasim
ISLAMABAD, March 12: Two private TV channels remained off air for some time on Monday after getting a warning from the government’s media regularity authority for showing pictures of police baton-charge on protesting lawyers in Lahore against the suspension of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.
It was the Aaj TV which first showed the footage of police chasing and beating the protesting lawyers on the streets of Lahore at around 1pm. The TV channel showed senior Supreme Court lawyer Sardar Latif Khosa with a bleeding head being taken by colleagues for medical treatment.
After a while, another private TV channel, Geo News, aired the footage of the same incident.
After some time, the two channels went off the air simultaneously. The transmission of the two channels resumed after several minutes with a different footage of the Lahore incident.
Sources told Dawn that an official of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) in Sindh contacted the managements of the channels on telephone and told them not to telecast the scenes of police action against lawyers.
They said the Pemra official was particularly angry over the scenes in which Latif Khosa was shown bleeding from a cut on his head. The managements of both the channels replied that they were telecasting the news report because their competitor was also showing it, they said.
The sources said the managements of all private TV channels were under pressure and issued ‘verbal orders’ not to give too much coverage to the ongoing judicial crisis.
Despite several attempts, Dawn failed to contact Information Minister Mohammad Ali Durrani and State Minister Tariq Azeem to seek the government’s version.
*grin*
I already knew one day General will take away his Mask of educated,enlightened ,secularism and liberalism and would show the real horrible face of dictatorship. Thankyou General,”dair ayed durust ayed”
It’s kind of becoming a national attitude; thrashing one another and then blaming one another for the misdeeds – Instead of peaceful demonstrations, that should’ve been staged. I really don’t know who can actually get benefited of such an insolent show of power and protest, as if someone(govt??) really cares here.
This is nothing but the humiliation of Pakistan.
Lawyers’ protest and CJ’s removal: everything is cheap politics and yes we are not at a point in evolution where we could swallow Democracy and Freedom of Expression. Being 200years behind the developed world, we can only expect what is happenning.
Nor the Govt Nor the Judiciary are saints. They all are in the same pool.
Moeen Sahib. yes the first photo has probably the same effect on me as on you but replying violence with violence is civil disobedience, not a protest. In today’s dawn there is a photo where lawyers are seen throwing trash and garbage in city-nazim Gujranwala’s office. They may be protesting for a legitimate cause but the violent protest or throwing garbage in govt offices will make them lose sympathy.