LAHORE, 13 October 2006 — Twenty one activists were arrested many protesters badly hurt when police baton-charged a rally organized by the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz Group) to observe a ‘black day’ in Pakistan’s checkered political history.
Supporters of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif were beaten up after they refused to end a protest to mark the seventh anniversary of his ouster in a coup. Sharif’s party had called for nationwide protests to mark the anniversary of the bloodless coup by army chief Gen. Pervez Musharraf on Oct 12, 1999.
About 30 protesters, including some women, gathered on a main road in the eastern city of Lahore chanting: “Go Musharraf Go,” “Killer of Democracy: General Musharraf” and “Long Live Nawaz Sharif.”
Police wielding bamboo batons dispersed the protesters after they ignored orders to clear the road, witnesses said. “They refused to end their protest and that’s why we took this action,” said Lahore police’s spokesman Athar Ali Shah.
Demonstrations and sit-ins were also held in the cities of Multan, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan and Faisalabad, police said. There was no word of any trouble at those protests.
Many Pakistanis fed up with elected leaders regarded as corrupt and inept welcomed Musharraf’s coup, but some are now growing weary of military rule.
Musharraf, who is still army chief, became president in 2001 and is expected to stand for another five-year term as president next year. A spokesman for his party, Rahim Qadri, decried the police action. “It is cruel that they don’t allow us to protest which is our democratic and basic right,” Qadri said.
Among the detainees was Naushad Hamid, political secretary of Mian Shahbaz Sharif. Some protesters burned Gen. Musharraf’s book, “In the Line of Fire”.
On Wednesday, Musharraf had announced that, “Two individuals (Benazir Bhutto and Mian Nawaz Sharif) will not be allowed to contest next general election. Both the former prime ministers still command popularity in Pakistan. Their parties are represented in the Parliament.”
Meanwhile the ARD and MMA have announced the launch of a country-wide movement after Ramdan against the government.
— With input from agencies
