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.
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.
@lahori and those who are defending this provacative article including the writer of this post.
The issue is not at all if this site has highlighted the previous issues are not. The problem with this post is inherent in itself not with this website. I have wrote given comment and posted my response to this post in my blog.
But I strongly urge the administrators of this blog to put this picture in proper context by putting the pictures of police brutality in the same clash. There is no excuse why these pictures should not be put.
I also request my fellow readers of this blog to urge the administrators this blog as the biased nature of this picture and this post is causing a damage to the struggle of civil society and I am sure in his next sermon to the nation mad dictator is going to refer to this blog definitely.