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.
Riaz2’s question: “who is funding these lawyers?” strikes me as either a silly question or a malicious one.
Why does one need to be funded to speak out for one’s rights and demanding freedom and democracy (even though I think these particular guys are doing the wrong thing by being violent).
If his question is fair, then, I guess it is also fair to ask him and others who ask this here, “WHO IS FUNDING YOU TO WRITE AGAINST THESE LAWYERS AND WRITE AGAINST THOSE DEMANDING FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY FOR PAKISTAN?”
who is funding these lawyers?
That has been a major problem with us as a nation. We have yet to find that middle-ground path for constant struggle. Either we are too violent, like in the picture, or dead-silent. Anything other then a careful, measured process adopted by the masses will be counter-productive.
I agree with mistri sahib. By putting this picture on the blog, you are opening yourself to the suspicion that you support the armed gang now running pakistan. First of all, the police is not even a legitimate organization at this time. In the absence of the constitution and rule of law, it is just another armed gang. If they come and beat up lawyers, the lawyers have no way to go to court or go to the police. …obviously they have to defend themselves physically.
What happened in multan was the best thing.police deserve some of their own medicine.lawyers have always staged a peaceful movement but they r always beaten up pretty badly by the police.it was the right thing to do un der the circumstances.the establishment must be given a dose of its own medicne.