• 58 TLP men among 600 booked for rioting, attacking police; cases against 12 civil society activists for violating Section 144
• Civil society unimpressed by action against ‘low-ranking officials’, demands judicial inquiry into Dr Kunbhar’s killing

KARACHI: At least 10 police officials — including two station house officers and seven women constables — were suspended, following an outcry over the high handedness and maltreatment meted out to participants of the ‘Sindh Rawadari March’ in Karachi, a senior police official told Dawn on Monday.

Meanwhile, around a dozen civil society activists and 58 leaders of a religious party were booked for violating Section 144 a day earlier.

On Sunday, at least one person was killed and several injured when police tried to break up separate protest rallies — one staged by the civil society activists against the killing of Dr Shahnawaz Kunbhar, and a counter-protest staged by the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

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Around 600 people, including 58 TLP leaders and activists, were booked under terrorism charges and other sections for clashing with law enforcers and setting fire to police vehicles.

On Monday, Home Minister Sindh Ziaul Hasan Lanjar discussed the maltreatment of women and journalists outside the Karachi Press Club (KPC ) and the ‘abuse’ of powers by policemen with Sindh IGP Ghulam Nabi Memon, according to a police spokesperson.

The minister directed the police chief to conduct an “impartial and transparent” inquiry, to be led by DIG West Irfan Ali Baloch, which should report its findings within three days.

DIG South Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that a misconduct report against four DSPs had been sent to the authorities for disciplinary action.

He said the four officers were assigned security duty at different places to stop the marchers from various groups, including the Sindh Rawadari Committee and the TLP’s Namoos-i-Risalat March.

Two of the DSPs ‘miserably’ failed to contain the movement of participants of the rally at KPC, he said, while the other two were found negligent in controlling and taking effective action against participants of the TLP rally, who ultimately marched towards Sharea Faisal, creating a serious law and order situation in the Red Zone.

On Monday, Artillery Maidan police registered an FIR against 100 people, including 12 civil society activists, for violating Section 144.

Another FIR was registered against 600 participants of the TLP march, alleging that armed TLP workers resorted to firing on police and Rangers near Metropole Hotel, resulting in the death of one Mo­­hammed Majid. A police vehicle was torched, another was damaged and several policemen injured in the melee.

Rights groups outraged

In separate press conferences, civil society representatives flayed police for their brutal actions, saying that the suspension of junior officers and mere condemnation of the violence perpetrated against unarmed, peaceful protesters — including women, intellectuals, poets, singers, journalists and others — by the Sindh leadership was not sufficient.

Sindh Women Lawyers Alliance’s Shazia Nizamani announced their intention to file a petition before the Sindh High Court against the violation of fundamental rights and police torture.

Jami Chandio, an intellectual whose daughter was among the women dragged and maltreated by police on Sunday, said that on one hand, the Sindh CM was apologising but on the other hand, a case had been registered against civil society activists, including singer Saif Samejo.

He wondered why the PPP leadership did not take action against their lawmakers who garlanded the policemen who killed Dr Kunbhar in custody.

Activist Fahmida Riaz said the PPP was thought to be a liberal and progressive party, but Sunday’s violence on peaceful protesters had been an eye-opener for them.

Qazi Khizar of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan criticised the imposition of Section 144, adding that on Sunday, the real brutal face of the state had been exposed.

He feared that police could not hold a fair inquiry against the senior officers involved in the murder of Dr Shahnawaz Kumbhar, and demanded a judicial inquiry be conducted.

Meanwhile, in Lahore, HRCP activists bemoaned the police highhandedness against the Rawadari March, whose purpose was to initiate dialogue among the people and promote a narrative to counter rising hate in society.

Former chairperson Hina Jilani, Treasurer Husain Naqi, vice chairperson Raja Ashraf, Council member Saleema Hashimi and Director Farah Zia jointly held a press conference at Dorab Patel Auditorium on Monday.

HRCP Chairperson Asad Iqbal Butt said that the rally’s organisers had contacted the government some fifteen days ago and had been given permission to hold a rally outside the press club.

However, the government imposed Section 144 on the eve of the planning rally, on the pretext that TLP was also holding a counter-protest.

Although those arrested were released soon after, the HRCP chairperson said that the march had brought together progressive voices from across Sindh and should have received the full support of any government claiming to hold democratic credentials.

Former HRCP chairperson Hina Jillani said that although the right to freedom of peaceful assembly was enshrined in the Constitution, it had been consistently violated by the state.

Imran Gabol in Lahore also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2024