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Police on Sunday clashed with protesters outside the Karachi Press Club (KPC) for violating Section 144 when they demonstrated against the killing of blasphemy suspect Dr Shahnawaz Kunbhar and “extremism in Sindh”.
Section 144 is a legal provision that empowers district administrations to prohibit an assembly of four or more people in an area for a limited period.
Organised as the “Sindh Rawadari March”, the protesters had gathered outside the press club to condemn the “extrajudicial” killing of Dr Shahnawaz, who had been accused of sharing blasphemous posts on social media and was shot dead under mysterious circumstances during a gun battle with the police in Mirpurkhas on September 19. Following an inquiry into the killing, Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar acknowledged that the police had “staged the encounter”.
The Sindh Rawadari March includes progressive voices from across the Sindh province including human rights defenders, trade unions and feminist movements whose “right to protest is protected by the Constitution”, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).
Today, TV and social media footage of the protest showed police performing baton charges on the demonstrators outside the KPC, including women.
South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Asad Raza told media persons outside the KPC that “20 people have been detained so far, including rights activist and PTI leader Ali Palh, Soorath Thebo, and others.”
KPC president Saeed Sarbazi told Dawn.com that the “police closed all routes leading to the press club with containers and buses, and even reporters and camera persons were not allowed entry.”
On the other hand, Karachi South Deputy Commissioner (DC) Altaf Sario visited the KPC, where Sarbazi informed him that Section 144 did not apply to the KPC as it has been declared a “Hyde Park” venue, where there is no ban on protests.
The DC contended that Section 144 was imposed due to the risk of riots and violence not only in Karachi, but other parts of Sindh.
According to Sarbazi, the DC added that this is happening at a time when foreign dignitaries are arriving in Islamabad and “such situations might create a bad image for the country”. Foreign delegations are in the capital for the Shanghai Cooperation Summit hosted by Pakistan.
The DC told KPC office-bearers that he would also talk with the police.
After Sindh Inspector General (IG) of Police Sindh Ghulam Nabi Memon talked with KPC officials, South DIG visited the venue and ordered the removal of all restrictions imposed there, said Sarbazi.
Meanwhile, witnesses and organisers of the march told Dawn.com that the police had been deployed on Sharea Faisal near the Finance & Trade Center (FTC), on main Korangi Road near Qayumabad, Toll Plaza on Superhighway, and other areas where people were being stopped and prevented from protesting.
There is also a large police detachment on the main MA Jinnah Road near Capri Cinema, where motorists are being stopped and checked by policemen, the protesters said.
A Dawn.com staffer saw a large contingent of police around the Teen Talwar roundabout, with personnel carrying riot shields and wearing armoured vests. A police water cannon truck was parked near the Hilal-i-Ahmar Medical Centre.
##HRCP concerned
Meanwhile, the HRCP expressed serious concerns over the arrests of several persons associated with the Sindh Rawadari March by Karachi police while attempting to hold a peaceful assembly.
“The police have also attempted to arrest HRCP chairperson Asad Iqbal Butt and warned him not to speak to the press,” said the Commission in a statement.
It demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the detained persons and the Sindh Rawadari March must be allowed to continue its assembly at the KPC unhindered.
More to follow
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