International
Pak. women's peace rally baton-charged
By B. Muralidhar Reddy
ISLAMABAD, JAN. 1. A peace rally led by the noted lawyer and human rights activist, Ms. Asma Jehangir, was baton-charged and disrupted at the Wagah check post by the Pakistan Rangers on Monday.
The rally was organised by various human rights and professional organisations, trade unions, lawyers, writers, political workers and intellectuals. Ms. Jehangir, her sister and Secretary-General of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Ms. Hina Jilani, and a large number of other participants were injured.
Denouncing the baton-charging, the Pakistan People's Party spokesman said the rally was intended to protest against Indian war threats and terrorism and was not directed against the Musharraf regime. ``The avoidable use of brute force by uniformed and armed personnel against women protesters was not only uncalled for but also shameful and most reprehensible.''
The PPP wanted to know what the Rangers were trying to prove by snatching and tearing into pieces the white peace flags and banners containing slogans not against Musharraf but against war and terrorism and by baton-charging women protesters. He said that Musharraf regime also claimed to be against war and terrorism.
``It is even more shameful that uniformed guards of the Rangers hurled invectives at the participants and caught women participants by the neck, throwing them on the ground. The Rangers should be ashamed of this show of bravado,'' the party said.
The Rangers also reportedly hit participating lawyers and journalists who were there to cover the event and at one point even threatened to use fire power. The spokesman said it was most deplorable that fire power was flaunted to hold women demonstrators at bay and stop them from expressing their sentiments against war threats and terrorism.
``The Pakistan Peoples Party condemns the incident, expresses sympathy with Ms. Asma Jehangir and the peace activists who were roughed up and demands of the Government to hold an inquiry and make accountable those lacking nerve and ordering the use of force against peace activists.''
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