Country-wide crack down continues as long march begins

KARACHI/ QUETTA/ LAHORE: Fresh arrests were undertaken amid violence by police who stopped the participants of lawyers’ long march for the restoration of deposed chief justice here at Toll Plaza on Thursday.

According the plan, the participants set off in groups for Sukkur in the first phase of the long march. Police baton-charged lawyers and political activists and manhandled dozens into vans at Toll Plaza.

Police also arrested several lawyers and leaders of Pakistan Muslim League-N, Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, National People’s Party and Sindh United Party who gathered at Toll Plaza to leave for Sukkur.

However, no barricades were placed to stop the marchers in Quetta.

Police have arrested hundreds of lawyers, political workers and members of civil society by launching a crack down across the country.

Those who have been arrested in Karachi include President of Sindh High Court Bar, Rasheed A. Rizvi, former President of Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Munir A. Malik, JI leader Dr. Mairaj-ul-Huda Siddiqui, Sunni Tehreek leader Shahid Ghauri and Muslim League leader Captain (Retd.) Haleem Siddiqui.

Police also manhandled the women participants of the long march and took them into custody.

The arrested were taken to Gadap Town Police Station.

According to police sources, arrest warrants of 11 political leaders have been issued and orders were passed to stop the long march protestors at Toll Plaza.

Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Wasim Ahmed Siddiqui said arrests were undertaken in view of a threat of terrorist activity.

Talking to Geo News, he said the arrests were made at the outskirt of the Karachi to avoid disturbance in the city.

All the arrests were made for violation of section 144, Wasim Ahmed Siddiqui maintained.

He said the participants of long march were repeatedly warned not to violate section 144 but they turned deaf ear to it.

To a question on ill-treatment of senior citizens and women, he said no uncivilized treatment was meted out to the people.

The Jamaat-e-Islami leaders Prof. Ghafoor Ahmad, Asadullah Bhutto and Mohammad Hussain Mehenti, president Karachi Bar Muhammad Ali Abbasi, general secretary Naeem Qureshi and many other political workers have also been arrested from Karachi.

Earlier, a large number of lawyers gathered outside Sindh High Court (SHC) from where long march was kicked off. A rally of lawyers, headed by Rasheed A. Rizvi, left for Mazar-e-Quaid at 12pm from Sindh High Court Bar room. Police had sealed all the routes leading to City Court before the protestors arrived there.

Lawyers in black suits and opposition party activists carrying flags and punching their fists in the air marched in Karachi and Lahore, demanding that President Asif Ali Zardari reinstate sacked judges.

Hundreds of thousands of lawyers, opposition supporters and civil activists will join a four-day convoy on the 1,500 kilometers (940 miles) route from Karachi to Islamabad, where it is intended to arrive Monday.

Meanwhile, lawyers gathered in district court Quetta. The President of Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Ali Ahmad Kurd is leading the long march which began at 12pm from District Court. There was no obstacle from the provincial government and the march went on smoothly. The PML-N, Pashtoonkhwa Mili Awami Party, PTI and other political parties’ activists are participating in the long march.