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Over 100 civil society activists
have been arrested from a meeting of Joint Action Committee, at
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan,
Lahore on Sunday 14.00 hrs.
The meeting was called to discuss the situation after the imposition of
Emergency in the country by General Pervez Mushraf. Police broke the
windows of the hall to enter into the meeting venue. Disrupt the
peaceful indoor meeting and asked the participants to come out. All the
participants were bundled into the police vans and driven to the Model
Town Polioce Station. Among the arrested men and women include I.A
Rehman, Iqbal Hyder, Robina saigol, Azra Shad, Khalid Mehmood, Mehboob
Khan, and Salman Raja advocate. The other names could not be identified
yet.
Me and
Bushra Khaliq, secretary WWHL were late from the meeting. When we
reached the HRCP office to attend the meeting at 12;30 by that time
police cordoned off the whole building and blocked the road towards HRCP
office. The police refused our entry in the meeting hall. We stayed
outside the hall for half an hour to asses the situation. We contacted
some friends in present in the meeting on moble and apprised them about
the situation outside. More contingents of police were pouring in. it
was all a threatening scenario. gun totting police men on red lighted
vehicles and bikes can be seen all around the HRCP hall. The police
ordered all the people waiting outside the hall to leave the place.
Meanwhile we
remained in contact with some participants on phone. They told us that
police have entered in the hall, stopped the meeting and offered the
women participants to leave the venue while all the men were told that
they are arrested. The women participants refused to go so they were
also arrested along with men. later they were all taken to police
station. Police has refused to tell them the nature and period of their
detention. We are trying to get the names of other friends arrested.
In view of
the latest crackdown on political activists, Farooq Tariq, general
secretary LPP is underground to avoid arrest and police is looking for
him like grey hounds. last night a police raid was also conducted at his
Lahore residence. It is pertinent to mention that LPP has denounced the
Emergency and vowed to resist it. |
