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.
AoA: Although in principle you are right that this is not the way to protest but we need to put this in the right context: the police in Multan used all types of brute force including outright torture against the legal community which was previously protesting peacefully and this is what triggered the violence from the lawyers community. Its always easy for the tyrant to use all force and keep lecturing others about peaceful protests.
Junaid Khan sahib, I think you misunderstood me. What I was saying was that all this hullaballoo that has been raised about the “whole country” being on the CJ’s side and Musharraf being isolated is complete hogwash. A few protests do not national opinion reflect. Moreover, I was saying that we as a nation, have a tendency to transform a political gathering or march into a little bit of a freak show… the rock throwing etc. is done for entertainment, seldom to make a point (there is no point, as you will note, in breaking a window of some innocent dukandaar’s shop).
Lastly, I fully support President Musharraf. Which is why I pointed out that window smashing will not improve our lot, but eyars of 7-8% GDP growth WILL. I had used the Jinnah comment to point out how great leaders of our nation have always understood that mass rallies in an uneducated society mean and reflect very little, specially when they represent .01% of the population.
ATP
Proof of people not understand the nature of the threats Pakistan is facing at international level as of today ? But people are busy protesting against the kind of internal problem which we grew up with.
Extremism, beheading of army personals from our own people, outside media not telling the true story to the rest of world , but they are more worried about our nukes?
These are the issues we did not grew up with. I am having hard time understanding educated people of Pakistan who are not protesting on these issues.Not writing on these issues.
No need for proof of someone destabilizing our nation all you have to see how the things move inside the country and then use your brain.
Allah bless Pakistan
Unite for the interest of your nation.
All readers are requested to desist from using ATP as a forum for rumor-mongering and slander. While some nominal element of speculation can be part of analysis, wide-scale and repeated planting of slander, hearsay, unsubstantiated labels (for the purpose of questioning someone
These lawyers hardly make day to day living.Going to jail not at work for months can be tough for one.Not to forget people who are running around courts for years they are coming from long distances and then no lawyers there.
If Lawyers are protesting without anyone’s influence I am all for that.
Allah Bless Pakistan
Unite for the interest of Pakistan.