More than twenty lawyers and political activists were injured, when police baton charged and tear-gassed marchers. When the procession of long marchers from Faisalabad attempted to remove the barricades at Shahkot, District Sheikhupura, police resorted to baton charge and tear-gassed them. About 30 lawyers and political activists were rounded up by police.
The marchers were being led by Mian Mansoor Ahmad, President District Bar Association Faisalabad, Mian Rifat Qadri, Vice President, Saif ur Rehman Bhatti, Secretary. Large number of JI and Civil Society members were among them.
Khawaja Shahid Razak Sikka, President and Chaudhry Mehmood Alam Jatt General Secretary Anjman-e-Tajran City Faisalabad have condemned the Lathi charge, tear gassing. They said complete shutter down strike will be observed on 16 March as a mark of protest in industrial city.
They said that the entire dry port activity has been paralysed and no goods were loaded and unloaded for the last three days while scores of container ships have returned empty. They condemned the governments move to commandeer trucks and trailers along with the containers, which carry goods and cargo from upcountry and to Karachi Port.
Several containers were placed at various places of industrial city in an attempt to stop the caravans of Faisalabad, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Jaranwala, Kamalia and Tandlianwala from participating in the long march and subsequent sit-in in Islamabad tomorrow. All entry and exit points of the industrial city have been blocked to thwart the long march. The long queues of vehicles can be seen in the Khurrianwala Industrial etate.
According to Reports, the Police have rounded up more than 200 persons from Faisalabad Division during the last 4-day crackdown out of which 15 local leaders and activists have been detained for one month while the others are kept at various places without registering any case against them.
Earlier, members of District Bar Association assembled in the district Bar Association and staged a protest demonstration within the premises of Bar association. They raised slogans against the government for blocking the peaceful long march and vowed to join the Lawyers Long-March for restoration of deposed Chief Justice and other Judges. The DBA President, Mian Mansoor Ahmed, while addressing the Lawyers meeting asked them to continue their struggle till the restoration of the deposed Judges.
Furthermore, local journalists have expressed their indignation and dismay over banning of the telecast private TV channels including Aaj TV in various parts of the country by the government.
In a protest meeting held at Faisalabad Press Club, under chairmanship of Shahid Ali, the members of Faisalabad Union of Journalists and Press Club strongly condemned the curbs on electronic media demanded that the government should immediately withdraw this unwarranted and unwise decision.