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.
Maybe all of those demanding this or that of a little blog should also demand of the lawyers not to follow teh footsteps of Musharrafs goons and not to indulge in violence. Maybe a better use of your time is suggesting to them that being violent does not help our cause of democracy and freedom.
Kruman, are you demanding the same from DAWN?
Images of blood-soaked lawyers to be added here? Why not discuss who is funding these Lawyers? They make little money and how can they go on like this? Enemy is inside Pakistan who is funding them.
Images of blood-soaked lawyers will do what? If you see the front page the picture of old lady speaks a lot about everything.
I second Pejamistri. At the minimum <strong>ATP needs to add images of blood-soaked lawyers in this post</strong> too. Otherwise it is a totally one-sided story that filters out the violence of the police in Multan.
http://pkpolitics.com/2007/12/08/lawyers-in-multan -beat-police/
i agree with everyone who say violent protests are unacceptable even in the face of such brutality from the police (having personally been on the receiving end), specially when it leads to the damage of public and private property. however i urge all ATP readers and admins to visit the above url and see the other side of the story, what actually prompted such actions from the lawyers.. its not a justification nor does it legitimize their actions but maybe it will help shed some new light on the matter.
i apologize if someone has already pointed this out and this is a re-post.