KARACHI: Rights activists on Monday decided to pursue a legal course of action against Professor Dr Riaz Ahmed’s ‘illegal detention’ by filing a bail application for the release of the Karachi University (KU) teacher.

Dr Ahmed was detained by Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, on April 1 near the Karachi Press Club minutes before he was to hold a press conference to demand proper treatment for the 70-year-old ailing professor, Dr Hassan Zafar Arif, who is in police custody.

After being presented before a duty magistrate in the City Courts to seek physical remand on the charges of keeping a weapon, Dr Ahmed was on Sunday sent to the central jail on judicial remand till April 15.

During a meeting held at the HRCP office on Monday evening, HRCP vice chairperson Asad Iqbal Butt said the next plan of action, including holding a press conference or demonstrations, would be decided if the bail application was rejected.

The hearing of the bail application is scheduled for April 5 (Wednesday) in room number 12 of the City Courts.

Earlier in the day, teachers at KU held a protest meeting to denounce the ‘bogus charges’ made against Dr Ahmed. The Sindh University, among others, also condemned the professor’s arrest.

The same condemnation was witnessed at the HRCP office where close friends, family and colleagues of Dr Ahmed denounced the charges against him expressing ‘shock’ over his arrest under Section 23 (i) A of the Sindh Arms Act 2013.

“All of us know that he is incapable of keeping a weapon,” said Naveen Haider, associate professor at KU’s Pakistan Study Centre. “But we have to keep reiterating that until his release as there are many who don’t know the man and [are] susceptible to believe any speculation about him,” she added.

During a meeting held at the university on Monday, Ms Haider said that the president of Karachi University Teachers Society (Kuts) “categorically stated that Dr Ahmed condemned politics of weapons and criticised the charge against him”.

The meeting was attended by representatives of labour and trade unions, Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, lawyer and activist Jibran Nasir, teachers from KU, including associate professor at the department of Islamic History at KU, Samina Hasnain, as well as Dr Meher Afroze, who was also detained by the Rangers along with Dr Ahmed on Saturday but was let off later.

Mr Butt maintained that a balanced route, involving both legal and political methods, should be taken by activists fighting Dr Ahmed’s case.

“His arrest and subsequent charge against him is wrong. He holds the right to express his opinions. At the same time, however, a legal route would ensure his release which is what we want at this time,” he added.

Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2017