In a joint statement issued to the press, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Secretary General Iqbal Haider and HRCP Vice Chairperson Ms Zohra Yusuf strongly condemned the police violence on a peaceful demonstration of lawyers gathered outside the city court, demanding the restoration of deposed judges, independence of the judiciary and rule of law, says a press release.
The excessive use of force by the police and others in plain clothes, including firing, tear-gassing and baton charging on a peaceful gathering of the lawyers of Karachi is a shameful attempt to not only suppress the lawyers' movement, but also to sabotage the democratic process arising out of the elections of February 18.
It is obvious that the collaborators of the autocratic rule of President Pervez Musharraf are attempting to destroy peace and harmony in the country to create serious problems for the newly elected government, the statement said. Such acts are in violation of the Constitution, human rights and civilised norms, they said The HRCP strongly demanded that:
-all the lawyers arrested on Thursday must be released forthwith as well as the judges and lawyers, including Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, Tariq Mehmood, Ali Ahmed Kurd, and all the deposed judges must be restored immediately,- action must be taken against all those police officers and government officials involved in firing, tear gassing, arrest, and violence against the lawyers. The HRCP commends and supports the admirable and consistent struggle of the lawyers for independence of the judiciary, rule of law and freedom of expression.-PR