[Onthebarricades] PAKISTAN: Ongoing protests by lawyers, students, journalists over dictatorial regime

[Andy]

*  Qaid-e-Azam university students continue protests
*  Students demonstrate at three Lahore universities
*  Islamabad journalists camp out against press curbs
*  Police stop Bhutto protest near capital
*  5000 arrested to stop rally against dictatorship
*  School students arrested for protesting
*  Two children killed as police open fire on Karachi protesters
*  "Muted response" to opposition protest call
*  Young Pakistanis turn to Web for protest
*  Lawyers' protests continue
*  Lawyers, prisoners' wives continue protests in Islamabad, Rawalpindi
*  NUML students protest
*  QAU students continue protest
*  Lahore students protest outside college
*  Lawyers' protest enters 36th day
*  Lahore student arrests spark protest
*  Lawyers protest across country, clash with police in Multan
*  Judges' wives protest at home
*  Lawyers protest, Sharif blocked
*  Scores of lawyers rally
*  Journalists continue protests
*  Insaaf student group organises protests
*  Protests against press law to continue into January
*  Candlelit protest at sacked judge's house
*  Lawyers protest at Supreme Court
*  Journalists' protest enters 45th day
*  Students protest media curbs
*  Journalist protests continue into Eid
*  Islamabad lawyers resume protest
*  Lahore student protests continue
*  Islamabad journalists continue protest
*  Suicide bomber hits police in Lahore
*  Journalists' protest enters 66th day
*  Lawyers meet for protest as bomber kills 24
*  Journalists' protest enters 69th day

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C11%5C09%5Cstory_9-11-2007_pg11_3

QAU students protest against emergency rule continues
ISLAMABAD: Numerous Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) students on Thursday 
staged a rally outside the university premises against the proclamation of 
emergency rule in the country and suspension of the constitution on November 
3.

The students and QAU faculty members protest entered the fourth day. The 
students, who were earlier protesting on the university premises, marched 
towards the Constitution Avenue but the law enforcement agencies personnel 
stopped them. The students raised anti-government slogans.

A senior official of the QAU told Daily Times that the university 
administration was concerned about the student march. He said angry students 
could damage the public property. He said the administration had requested 
the students to avoid protest demonstration outside the university premises. 
The protesting students said they could go to any extent to press the 
government to end the state of emergency and restore the constitution. They 
said the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) would not be accepted.

They also demanded reinstatement of deposed chief justice of Pakistan 
Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. The students were wearing black armbands. 
However, they dispersed peaceful. staff report

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C11%5C10%5Cstory_10-11-2007_pg13_3

Students continue protest
By Adnan Lodhi

LAHORE: Students of FAST-NU, Punjab University, and LUMS held demonstrations 
on Friday against the imposition of emergency rule.

FAST-NU: Up to 500 students gathered at the FAST-National University campus 
after the Friday prayers and shouted slogans against the imposition of 
emergency rule. Students wore black armbands and most of them were dressed 
in black. Several students addressed the rally and said students would 
continue countrywide protests until the end of emergency rule.

"We are protesting for the restoration of democracy," a student said. 
Students had a right to voice their opinion, he said. "Our protest has 
nothing to do with politics and political parties."

FAST director Muhammd Arshad said, "We have allowed students to protest 
within the school premises, but will not allow them to protest outside on 
roads." He said the FAST administration did not support protests. "We can 
not force them to stop protesting," he said, adding that if students would 
break any rule, the school administration would take action the violators.

IJT: The PU IJT activists and PU teachers and other staff members gathered 
after the Friday prayers. Protestors marched from Jamia Mosque to the 
Chemical Engineering Department.

PU IJT nazim Muhammad Ayub said ordinary people had rejected the imposition 
of emergency rule. "The army rule has forced students to come on roads and 
demand their rights," he said. He said students would hold protests inside 
the campus for a week and after that they would come out on roads and would 
keep protesting till democracy was restored in the country. PU teachers also 
joined the protest.

PhD students: PU PhD students protested in favour of deposed Chief Justice 
Iftikhar Ahmed Chaudhry. They condemned the ban on TV channels.

PUASA: PUASA members held a meeting on Thursday night at the PU and framed 
the National Solidarity Committee to run a protest campaign against 
emergency.

PUASA president Dr Mumtaz Ahmed Salik told Daily Times that teachers of 
public universities were part of the committee.

LUMS: A number of hostel students protested against the emergency rule after 
the Friday prayers and demanded the restoration of democracy.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C11%5C10%5Cstory_10-11-2007_pg11_6

Journalists protest media curbs
ISLAMABAD: Journmalists and other media people staged a protest 
demonstration in front of Islamabad Press Club camp office against the 
imposition of restrictions on electronic and print media on Friday.

A large number of journalists took part in the demonstration. They strongly 
condemned the recent steps of the government and vowed that restrictions on 
media, in any form, would not be accepted.

They demanded an end to the emergency rule and restoration of independence 
of judiciary and media immediately. Former minister J Salik was also 
present.

Later, the protestors assembled in front of the building of a private TV 
channel and marched towards PEMRA headquarters. After the protest march, it 
was decided the future strategy would be announced at the Press Club camp 
office.

Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists Secretary General Mazhar Abbas, 
Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists President Afzal Butt, Islamabad 
Press Club President Rashid Minhas, Talat Hussain, Kashif Abbasi, Hamid Mir 
and Huma Ali addressed the protesting media persons. online

http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2007-11/2007-11-09-voa1.cfm?CFID=214520562&CFTOKEN=53371044

Pakistani Police Keep Bhutto From Leading Protest Near Capital
Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was freed late Friday after a day of house 
arrest that prevented her from attending a demonstration in Rawalpindi. 
Transcript of radio broadcast:
09 November 2007

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This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.
The political crisis in Pakistan deepened Friday. Opposition leader Benazir 
Bhutto tried to lead a big protest against emergency rule declared last 
Saturday by President Pervez Musharraf. Instead, the former prime minister 
spent the day under house arrest.
She tried to leave her home in Islamabad to attend the demonstration that 
she organized in nearby Rawalpindi. But she could not get past barriers and 
hundreds of police around her home.
Late in the day, however, Benazir Bhutto was freed. The government said the 
detention order had been withdrawn. In Rawalpindi, police clashed with 
several hundred protesters who violated a ban on demonstrations.
Benazir Bhutto says she still plans to lead a protest march early next week 
from Lahore to Islamabad. She returned to Pakistan last month after eight 
years of exile to avoid corruption charges. Before she returned, she had 
been negotiating with President Musharraf on a possible political alliance.
Last weekend, the president dismissed the Supreme Court. He has placed the 
chief justice and other judges under house arrest. He also suspended the 
constitution and shut down privately owned television news stations. And he 
gave wide powers to officials to crush dissent.
Protests have been suppressed, sometimes violently, by police in recent 
days. How many people have been detained is unclear. The number is in the 
thousands, including opposition members, human rights activists and lawyers.
The opposition is demanding that President Musharraf end emergency rule, 
retire as army chief and hold elections in January. World leaders, including 
President Bush, have also called on him to do these things.
President Bush considers the leader of the nuclear-armed nation an important 
ally against terrorism. Since two thousand one the United States has given 
Pakistan almost ten billion dollars in aid, mostly for its military.
National elections were planned for early January. This week, General 
Musharraf said elections would now be held by February fifteenth. He also 
said he will resign as army chief before he is sworn in again as president. 
He said he will keep that promise once the new Supreme Court confirms his 
re-election.
Benazir Bhutto said the election announcement was simply an attempt to quiet 
growing dissent.
General Musharraf seized power in nineteen ninety-nine. Later he was elected 
to a five-year term. And, last month, lawmakers elected him to another term. 
Many political observers say he declared emergency rule because he feared 
that the Supreme Court would cancel his re-election.
The court had been considering whether he was permitted by law to run for 
president while serving as army chief. General Musharraf says he declared 
emergency rule because of a growing threat from Islamic militants and 
activist judges.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/pakistan/Story/0,,2208760,00.html

Riot police deployed to prevent Benazir from leading anti-Musharraf protest

· 5,000 arrested to stop rally against emergency rule
· Ex-prime minister mulls deal with military dictator

Declan Walsh in Islamabad
Saturday November 10, 2007
The Guardian

Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto and her supporters try to push their way 
through a police barricade outside her home in Islamabad. Photograph: David 
Guttenfelder/AP

Benazir Bhutto was going nowhere. A phalanx of riot police stood at the end 
of her leafy street, tapping their shields and manning a barbed wire 
barricade. Armoured vehicles rolled in.
Officers even prowled the neighbours' gardens, just in case the opposition 
leader might vault her back wall. "All this, for one unarmed woman," said 
her spokeswoman Sherry Rehman.
In nearby Rawalpindi, where Bhutto was due to hold a mass rally against 
President Pervez Musharraf's emergency rule, the clampdown was even greater. 
A city of 5 million people had virtually shut down. Police roamed the 
deserted streets on motorbikes, horses and by foot.

A straggle of Bhutto loyalists who ventured outside were chased and, in some 
cases, thrashed. The party said that 5,000 had already been arrested.
The handful that made it to Bhutto's suburban house in Islamabad, 15 miles 
away, were bundled away by plain-clothed intelligence officials. All 
resisted arrest, waving v-signs to the media as they were carted off. A few 
took it personally.
"Please tell me why I am being arrested. I have done nothing wrong", 
protested Naheed Hayat, a British-Pakistani supporter, as she was shoved 
into a car.
But there was no rough treatment for Bhutto's top lieutenants, who sailed 
past the security and into her tightly-guarded house. The contrast 
underscored the fact that despite her fiery rhetoric about "military 
dictatorship", Bhutto refuses to rule out a deal with Musharraf.
Bhutto made two symbolic attempts to break through the police cordon. At one 
point over 100 journalists dashed down a side-street, thinking she might 
emerge.
In the late afternoon, however, she made it to the end of the street, where 
she delivered an impromptu speech.
"This is not a battle for Benazir Bhutto. This is a battle to save 
Pakistan," she declared through a loudhailer, standing behind a coil of 
barbed wire and surrounded by 50 party leaders.
She was "very disappointed" with Musharraf, she said, and called for "the 
restoration of the constitution, for General Musharraf to keep his 
commitment to retire [as army chief] on November 15, and for the holding of 
elections on schedule."
But the impromptu speech mostly focused on rising Islamist extremism. 
Pakistani mountain villages had recently fallen to the Taliban, she warned, 
and the situation could descend into Iraq-like anarchy.
"We have seen what happens in Iraq. There was a dictatorship, the people 
revolted, and there was a bloody end ... We don't want the history of Iraq 
to be repeated here in Pakistan."
The threat was underscored in Peshawar, 160 km (100 miles) to the west, 
where a suicide bomber attacked the home of the minister for political 
affairs, Amir Muqam. Four people died; the minister escaped unscathed.
Technically, Bhutto said, she was not under house arrest because the 
government had not served her with an arrest warrant. "But I'm illegally 
stopped from moving by barbed wire and blockades."
But, in another sign relations with Musharraf remained alive, the speech was 
broadcast on state-run Pakistan Television.
Then Bhutto got into her armoured jeep and drove away, followed by party 
officials who had earlier vowed to reached Rawalpindi "at any cost". The 
police also turned up outside the house of the former chief justice Iftikhar 
Muhammad Chaudhry, who was fired by Musharraf last week and has been under 
house arrest since. The police tried to move him to the western city of 
Quetta but he refused to go. "He said he was determined to stand with the 
lawyers until his last drop of blood," said a lawyer close to him.
Late last night, after the US government urged Gen Musharraf to lift the 
restrictions on Bhutto, the government obliged. "The detention order has 
been withdrawn," Aamir Ali Ahmed, a police official in Islamabad said.
Critics said the failed demonstration was more political theatre than a 
genuine attempt to unseat Musharraf. "Nobody believes this is a genuine 
protest. She wants to hijack the lawyers' movement," said Athar Minallah, a 
leader of the lawyers' movement. "She still wants to negotiate with General 
Musharraf."
Another lawyer compared it to a local form of fake wrestling where rivals 
bounce off one another but rarely strike a blow.
The standoff certainly paled in comparison with the full-blooded clashes 
between police and lawyers that have landed at least 2,500 people in jail 
over the past week, many of them lawyers. And Bhutto's rhetoric - talks were 
"suspended" and there had been no "direct communication" - suggested a 
resumption of negotiations is still possible.
The list of world leaders condemning emergency rule lengthened to included 
former presidents Nelson Mandela and Jimmy Carter.
Musharraf has tried to deflate criticism by saying promised elections will 
take place by mid February.
But critics said that without an immediate reversal of the draconian 
legislation, any polls would be meaningless. "Nobody's calling for elections 
on February 15. People are saying they want the rule of law," said Asma 
Jahangir, the country's leading human rights campaigner, speaking from house 
arrest in Lahore.
"And if America wants to continue supporting their precious dictator, then 
I'm afraid the unrest will continue until they back off."
As evening fell most of the police around Bhutto's house moved off, pulling 
off their riot gear and swinging their sticks.
"A very good day," commented officer Rast Ali, with a smile, as he strolled 
down the street. "We're just doing our duty. General Musharraf is the one in 
charge."

http://www.indianexpress.com/story/238762.html

Police arrest schoolkids for holding anti-Govt protest
Press Trust Of India
Posted online: Wednesday, November 14, 2007 at 0000 hrs

ISLAMABAD, NOVEMBER 13 : The Pakistan Police arrested 48 school students, 
the youngest being a 12-year-old, who participated in a silent rally in 
Islamabad, on Monday, to protest against the emergency imposed by President 
Pervez Musharraf.
With mouths taped with silver and white duct tape and holding placards with 
slogans such as "Justice for justices" and "Free the media", about 100 
students braved police batons.
"Students of various high schools organised a silent protest. When the 
policemen approached us and asked us to stop, we did and tried to cooperate 
with them. But as we were going back, 600-700 policemen, including women 
officers, anti-terrorist squad commandos and officers in plainclothes 
descended and told us they would arrest us because a protest rally was not 
allowed," said Samad Khurram, a student who participated in the protest.
He accused the police of using batons to disperse the children, pushing, 
dragging and even abusing them before they were pushed into police vans. A 
large number of girls also participated in the protest, probably the first 
of its kind organised by school children.
"Most of those arrested were students of class XI to XII" Khurram said.
After police pushed 48 students into vans, lawyers and human rights workers 
present at the spot managed to convince them not to arrest any more 
children.
Later, the police released the students, but obtained written assurances 
from them that they would not participate in future rallies.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/003200711152021.htm

Two children killed in firing during protest in Karachi
Karachi (PTI): Two children were killed on Thursday when police and 
supporters of former Premier Benazir Bhutto traded fire during a 
demonstration in this southern port city against her house arrest, the first 
protest deaths in the country since the imposition of emergency on November 
3.
The incident occurred as supporters of Bhutto continued protests against her 
house arrest in parts of Karachi, including Lyari, a stronghold of her 
Pakistan People's Party (PPP), witnesses said.
Two children one aged 11 and the other 12 were killed when the gunfire broke 
out in the Chakiwara locality in Lyari, they said, adding fired teargas to 
disperse the demonstrators.
A PPP statement alleged that police resorted to firing on the protesters. It 
said major towns and villages in Sindh province were shut down and police 
used force to disperse people protesting the detention of Bhutto and the 
arrest of hundreds of PPP leaders and workers.
The statement said Nawabshah city was closed completely by people to vent 
their anger against the "collapsing regime" which is opposing the democratic 
struggle led by Bhutto.
The PPP also alleged that police resorted to firing on its protesters in 
Sakrand town in which one person was injured. Police detained eight PPP 
workers, including the injured one, and registered a case against them.
In Jamshoro, over 50 PPP leaders, workers and others were arrested, the 
statement said. The protesters blocked roads, paralysing vehicular traffic 
while shop-keepers pulled down shutters in protest. In Chachro, over two 
dozen PPP workers were arrested following a protest, the statement said.
Bhutto has been under house arrest in Lahore since Tuesday to prevent her 
from leading anti-emergency protests.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/FullcoverageStoryPage.aspx?id=d8d73b99-e857-449b-9c9f-05b6d8a9d95aEmergencyruleinPakistan_Special&&Headline=Not+many+protest+against+General

Not many protest against General

Kamal Siddiqi, Hindustan Times
Email Author
Karachi, November 15, 2007
First Published: 22:44 IST(15/11/2007)
Last Updated: 22:53 IST(15/11/2007)

The muted response to Emergency measures imposed by General Pervez Musharraf 
is worrying many in Pakistan. Unlike in the past, when thousands emerged to 
combat extra-constitutional measures, this time round the people have 
largely kept off the streets.
"One would have expected more people on the roads. But the streets are 
empty," laments Nazish Brohi, a human rights activist. Brohi says that she 
has attended at least 12 public protests in the past week, but in almost all 
of them  attendance was very thin.
Human rights activists, lawyers, a sprinkling of journalists and NGO members 
were seen at the protests. Ghazi Salahuddin, a local journalist, finds this 
indifference exasperating. "I think General Musharraf has played his cards 
well. The public protest over the emergency in Pakistan has been quite 
muted."
One of the reasons why many Pakistanis feel the protests have not been 
vociferous is possibly because of a ban on private TV channels which would 
have shown how events were unfolding in the country.
There have been interesting twists and turns in way the public have reacted 
to the imposition of "Emergency-plus" in Pakistan. Many lawyers and 
politicians have come out on the roads and been arrested.
But the most potent force that usually appears at these times - the right 
wing parties - have been subdued. There have been few protests from 
religious parties against the Emergency. So disappointing has been the 
response of right wing parties that some people have accused them of being 
in league with the government.
This point was brought home when student activists of the right-wing 
Jamaat-e-Islami party helped in having Imran Khan, leader of the Pakistan 
Tehreek-e-Insaf, arrested on Wednesday. The Jamaat is supposed to be part of 
the grand Opposition alliance. However, its members have sat on the 
sidelines as members of civil society take on the government.
While the right wing parties may have an ulterior motive, the public apathy 
has raised many eyebrows.
This silence, however, cannot be taken for indifference, say others. Many 
say Pakistanis, increasingly becoming wary of violence on the streets, have 
decided the best option is to stay at home. "People are being targeted by 
the army and suicide bombers. Where does that leave us?" asked student 
Mudassir Kazi.
At the same time, the onus now falls on Benazir Bhutto, who enjoys that kind 
of grassroots support not seen in other parties, to bring people on to the 
streets. But Benazir is cooling her heels under house arrest.
Many feel as things stand, it is better to remain indifferent. A small 
minority, however, differs. There have been protests reported from all over 
the country, with some schoolchildren also joining in. These children have 
demanded respect for human rights and democracy.
Political analysts say these are the days of drawing-room deals. "We have a 
tradition of proxy decision making and that is why people are elected before 
the elections," said one commentator.

http://ydr.inyork.com/newsfull/ci_7471091

Young Pakistanis turn to Web for protest
By ROBIN McDOWELL Associated Press Writer
Article Last Updated: 11/15/2007 12:42:23 PM EST

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan-Angry over emergency rule, Pakistani students are 
starting to demonstrate against their military ruler. And they are using the 
Web as well as the street to make their point.
Samad Khurram said updating his online newsletter, the Emergency Telegraph, 
has practically become a full-time job. Offering advice on everything from 
avoiding arrest to staging "flash" rallies and organizing petitions, it is 
e-mailed to some 6,000 people.
With independent TV news off the air, the Emergency Telegraph also provides 
links to Web sites with streaming video, as well as media contacts, 
inspirational references to figures like Che Guevara and messages from 
detained human rights activists and judges.
"If my family knew what I was doing they would put me under house arrest," 
joked the 21-year-old, who is taking a semester off from Harvard. "And they 
would definitely take away my computer."
Lawyers have been the standard-bearers for dissent since Nov. 3, when 
President Gen. Pervez Musharraf imposed a state of emergency, saying it was 
needed to address Islamic militancy and stabilize the country.
Critics say the general is trying to maintain his hold on power, noting that 
one of his first steps was to oust all Supreme Court judges who could have 
disqualified his re-election as president in a vote last month by national 
and provincial legislators.
Most rallies this month have been quickly and often violently stamped out, 
and thousands of people have been jailed, including cricket 
star-turned-politician Imran Khan, considered by many a symbol of the youth 
movement.
Muhammad Naveed, a student from Punjab University in the eastern city of 
Lahore, said many young people worry about what will happen to those 
detained.
"We are afraid the government will register cases against the students under 
the amended army act," he said, referring to measures that allow military 
courts to try civilians accused of committing treason or sedition or "giving 
statements conducive to public mischief."
In the worst-case scenario, they could be sentenced to death, though jail 
time or fines would be more likely.
There are signs students are growing more courageous.
In the largest campus rally yet, 2,000 students gathered Thursday at a 
university in Lahore, chanting "Go, Musharraf, go!" and "Long live Imran 
Khan!"
Earlier this week, police rounded up dozens of high school students who 
marched in the capital, Islamabad, with their mouths taped shut to protest a 
crackdown on the news media. They were later freed.
But for now, many students feel more comfortable behind their computers, 
writing blogs, taking part in chat rooms, updating lists of detainees or 
lobbying politicians and Pakistanis overseas.
Others circulate mobile phone text messages-perhaps one of the most 
effective means of dissent with more than 70 million cell phones nationwide, 
said Adnan Rehmat, who heads Internews Pakistan, a Washington-based media 
watchdog group.
"This is how people are really networking, expressing themselves," he said. 
"People are sending messages of solidarity, relaying information about 
protest sites, that sort of thing."
Students have been active in Pakistan in the past, especially in the years 
after independence from Britain in 1947, but many have become disillusioned 
with politics following a series of corrupt and authoritarian regimes.
"Students were pretty apathetic, but that's changing," said Khurram, author 
of the Emergency Telegraph. He said that as soon as Musharraf ordered his 
crackdown, he and his friends began brainstorming by instant message.
"We all agreed it was time to take a stance," he said.
Momentum appears to be growing, especially at elite schools in Lahore.
The arrest of Imran Khan on Wednesday at a student demonstration could add 
impetus to the movement, said Rashid, who edits a blog called the Emergency 
Times. He asked to be identified by only one name for fear of retribution.
Many parents, who know how brutally dissent can be crushed, oppose activism 
by their sons and daughters.
"Our parents are saying, 'Please, save your lives'," said Asif Ahmed, 22, an 
anthropology student and Khan supporter who has joined the protests despite 
her parents' pleas.
"I am determined to bring a revolution to Pakistan," she said.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C11%5C20%5Cstory_20-11-2007_pg11_1

Lawyers' protest against emergency rule continues
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: The lawyers of Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Monday continued their 
protest against the state of emergency, suspension of the constitution and 
promulgation of the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO).

In Islamabad, the lawyers continued staging one-hour hunger strike at the 
district courts, which was followed by a rally. The lawyers boycotted the 
courts' proceedings for an hour. Over 150 lawyers took a round of the courts 
and chanted anti-Musharraf slogans. Civil society representatives also 
participated in the rally and demanded restoration of fundamental rights of 
the citizens.

The protestors said that the lawyers were being arrested to curb their 
movement for an independent judiciary and restoration of democracy in the 
country. They vowed that their movement would continue till the restoration 
of deposed judges and an end to the state of emergency.

Islamabad District Bar Association (IDBA) President Haroonur Rasheed thanked 
the international community for support to their movement. Lawyers also 
thanked Jemima Khan, ex-wife of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan, 
for holding protests in support of Pakistani people.

Talking to Daily Times, Rasheed said 15 members of IDBA were arrested and of 
them seven had been released. He demanded that the government release all 
the lawyers immediately.

A heavy contingent of police stood alert close to the rally but no arrests 
were made and after rally the lawyers dispersed peacefully.

Meanwhile, The Rawalpindi District Bar Association (RDBA) also observed 
hunger strike and held a protest demonstration at the district courts. The 
situation became tense when a heavy contingent of police and armoured 
personnel carriers were deployed on the courts premises where hundreds of 
lawyers had assembled for the protest rally. The police stopped entry of 
people to the courts premises and asked those who were inside to leave.

At one time it appeared the police would launch a crackdown on the lawyers 
and arrest them, but nothing happened.

ASP Ashfaq Ahmed Khan told Daily Times that the police was deployed to avert 
any untoward situation. He said they would not stop lawyers from holding 
peaceful demonstration on the courts premises.

However, a lawyer said heavy contingent of police were deployed to stop the 
lawyers from going to Islamabad for expressing solidarity with the media 
persons, especially the banned channels. The police moved along the lawyers' 
rally but did not try to disturb it.

Earlier, the lawyers' general body meeting, held at the bar room, condemned 
Musharraf for imposing emergency and demanded the release of Supreme Court 
Bar Association (SCBA) President Aitzaz Ahsan, Lahore High Court Bar 
Association (LHCBA) Rawalpindi bench President Sardar Asmatullah, RDBA 
Secretary Intizar Mehdi and Joint Secretary Shahbaz Rajput.

SCBA former president Ikram Chaudhry and senior lawyers Ibadur Rehman Lodhi 
and Noshad Rana were also present. They said that they would continue their 
struggle for the restoration of deposed chief justice, the constitution as 
well freedom of media and release of the lawyers.

Meanwhile, executive body of the LHCBA, Rawalpindi bench, in a meeting 
decided that association's vice-president Raja Asif Raza would be president 
of the bar till the release of Sardar Asmatullah. Most of the lawyers 
abstained themselves from appearing before the PCO judges.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C11%5C20%5Cstory_20-11-2007_pg7_45

Journalists, students protest media curbs and emergency
* Benazir visits ARY office, says fair polls impossible without free media
* Patterson visits Geo TV, urges govt to lift media ban

ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: Journalists and students on Monday protested in the 
capital against the emergency rule, curbs on the media and suspension of 
judges, while former premier Benazir Bhutto and American ambassador to 
Pakistan Anne W Patterson visited the offices of banned television channels 
in Karachi to express solidarity with the electronic media.

The journalists protested outside the office of a banned private television 
channel to press the government to restore the media's freedom in the 
country. Politicians, civil society activists and students joined the 
journalists to express solidarity with them. The protest has been continuing 
for the past 10 days. Around 600 journalists were present in the protest. 
The journalists said they had been barred from criticising General Pervez 
Musharraf or his government.

Restrictions on the media, they said, had stopped the flow of news 
highlighting the government's misdeeds. They demanded the government give 
its oft-quoted freedom of expression to the media.

They said the media had played its role in the country's development, but 
the government had been calling journalists "traitors". They urged people to 
press the government to end the emergency rule and restore the fundamental 
rights. Former minorities minister J Salik was also present on the occasion. 
Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) President Afzal Butt also 
announced a rally on Tuesday (today) outside the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Press 
Club.

Separately, the students of a local college along with civil society members 
staged a protest at Aabpara market against curbs on the media. Around 100 
protesters were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans against 
the media curbs, emergency rule and the Provisional Constitutional Order 
(PCO).

The students of the Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) also staged a 
demonstration in the university premises.

BB visits ARY TV: While visiting the office of ARY One World television 
channel in Karachi, Benazir said that fair elections were impossible without 
an independent media. She said, "The ban on the media is an attempt to 
suppress citizens' voice for real democracy."

Patterson visits Geo TV: US ambassador to Pakistan Anne W Patterson visited 
the office of Geo television.

According to a US consulate press release, Patterson expressed her 
government's concern over the Pakistan government's orders to suppress the 
electronic media including Geo TV. "Such extreme and unreasonable measures . 
contradict the progress Pakistan has made towards . a democratic society," 
she was quoted as saying to Geo channel's management. She urged the Pakistan 
government to immediately lift the ban on the media, and permit broadcasters 
to resume their programming. staff report

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C11%5C24%5Cstory_24-11-2007_pg11_1

Twin cities lawyers' protest continues
* Detained lawyers' wives also to protest today

Staff Report

RAWALPINDI: The lawyers of Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Friday boycotted the 
courts and observed hunger strike to protest emergency rule in the country, 
suspension and detention of Supreme Court judges and arrest of leading 
lawyers.

In Rawalpindi, the Rawalpindi District Bar Association (RDBA) staged a rally 
on the courts premises and also staged a hunger strike for one hour when 
they were allowed entry to courts after a 10-day break.

The protesting lawyers also decided to continue the one-hour hunger strike 
daily until realisation of their objectives. Lawyers' Lovers - a civil 
society group - also joined the lawyers as a token of their solidarity.y.

Before staging the rally, the lawyers attended a general body meeting of the 
RDBA at the Bar Hall in which they condemned the harassment of journalists 
and lawyers at the hands of police and law enforcement agencies. They said 
violence against people would do no good to the government and pledged to 
continue their struggle for restoration of democracy and the constitution, 
reinstatement of the deposed Supreme Court judges and lifting of 
restrictions on the media.

Riffat Bashir Awan Advocate criticised President General Pervez Musharraf 
for imposing emergency in the country and said that the people of Pakistan 
had rejected his policies and believed that only an independent judiciary 
could ensure the rule of law and provide them justice.

Sajid Khan Tanoli Advocate urged all patriotic political forces to boycott 
the January 8 election and urged the lawyers' community to unite. Aneela 
Atique, Tasneem Abbasi, Zafar Ahmed, Abdur Rashid and Abdul Hameed also 
addressed the lawyers. After the general body meeting, the lawyers staged a 
rally on the district courts premises led by Chaudhry Taufiq Asif.

Shahbaz Ahmed Rajput, the RDBA joint secretary, told reporters that the 
wives of Justice (r) Tariq Mehmood, Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) 
President Aitzaz Ahsan, Lal Masjid chief cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz's lawyer 
Shaukat Siddiqui and Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) President 
Sardar Asmaullah Khan would also observe a hunger strike on Saturday 
(today). He said the wives of eminent lawyers would also address the general 
body meeting.

Meanwhile, Islamabad District Bar Association (IDBA) President Haroonur 
Rashid said that the lawyers would continue their struggle for freedom of 
the media and the judiciary and restoration of democracy. He said a hunger 
strike camp would also be set up that would be attended by 40-45 lawyers.

He said lawyers would never accept the Provisional Constitutional Order 
(PCO) and they had decided to boycott the courts of the PCO judges.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C11%5C25%5Cstory_25-11-2007_pg11_3

NUML students protest against emergency
ISLAMABAD: The students of Economics and International Relations departments 
of the National University of Modern Languages (NUML) on Saturday staged a 
protest demonstration against the emergency imposed in the country.

They wore black armbands and held placards inscribed with demands for 
restoring the Constitution, lifting the state of emergency and withdrawing 
the promulgation of the provisional constitutional order.

The students raised slogans and asked the government to reinstate the 
deposed judges. They said the government was depriving people of information 
by curbing the electronic media. They made a round of the campus and said 
the government had replaced people's interests with its own interests. 
Later, the protesting students dispersed peacefully. staff report

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C11%5C28%5Cstory_28-11-2007_pg11_4

QAU students continue protest against emergency
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Students of the Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) continued their 
peaceful protest on Tuesday against the imposition of emergency in the 
country.

Protests at the QAU have entered the third week. The students have been 
organising protest demonstrations on the premises of the university every 
day, except official holidays and Friday.

On Tuesday, over 200 students marched inside the university and raised 
anti-government slogans. They termed proclamation of emergency unjustified.

The protesters urged the government to restore the deposed chief justice 
Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and to allow people to enjoy their fundamental 
rights.

They vowed to continue their protest till lifting of emergency and 
restoration of integrity of the judiciary.

They warned that they could go to any extent if the government did not meet 
their demands. The students demanded release of all arrested lawyers, 
political and civil society activists. They also criticised the government 
for curbs on media and said that freedom of media should be restored. To 
express their anger over the imposition of emergency, they also burnt an 
effigy of President General Pervez Musharraf.

The students also made a chain of hands from the main entrance of the gate 
to the CJP Square to express solidarity with other segments of society 
struggling against the imposition of emergency.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C12%5C04%5Cstory_4-12-2007_pg13_5

Students protest suspension of judges
Staff Report

LAHORE: Around 50 students of various universities of the city protested the 
suspension of judges and of the constitution outside the National College of 
Arts (NCA) on Monday.

The Students Association for Rescuing Pakistan (SARP) organised the protest.

Students from NCA, Government College University, University of Management 
and Technology, King Edward Medical University, Punjab University, Fast 
National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences and COMSATS 
participated in the protest.

Students held banners and placards inscribed with pro-deposed Supreme Court 
chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry slogans. The students demanded the 
restoration of the deposed judges. They also set up the CJ Square and placed 
bouquets and roses there.

Some lawyers showed up and thanked the students for participating in the 
movement. The students said the movement would continue till the restoration 
of the deposed judges.The students also distributed pamphlets amongst the 
people. The pamphlet denounced the government for imposing emergency rule 
and the Provisional Constitutional Order.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C12%5C09%5Cstory_9-12-2007_pg11_4

Lawyers protest on 36th consecutive day
ISLAMABAD: Lawyers on Saturday continued boycott of district courts for the 
36th consecutive day after deposition of Supreme Court judges and imposition 
of emergency on November 3. The lawyers set up a hunger strike camp outside 
District Bar Room and shouted slogans against President Pervez Musharraf. 
They demanded release of detained lawyers and judges. The protest remained 
less active because most lawyers went to the funeral of senior lawyer Arbab 
Abbasi's father-in-law. Bar President Haroon-ur-Rasheed told Daily Times 
that lawyers would continue their movement until reinstatement of sacked 
judges. He appealed to people to join lawyers' movement.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C12%5C08%5Cstory_8-12-2007_pg7_32

LUMS students' arrest sparks protest
By Adnan Lodhi

LAHORE: Dozens of students, teachers, lawyers and representatives of civil 
society protested against the arrest of 10 students of the Lahore University 
of Management Sciences (LUMS) on Friday. The students were arrested on 
Thursday night outside the house of Justice (r) Shahid Siddiqi in GOR 1.

The Students' Action Committee (SAC), a group of students protesting against 
the emergency rule and suspension of the constitution, organised the 
protest. Syed Muhammad Shah, Lahore Bar Association president Firdaus Butt, 
Lahore High Court Bar Association Vice President and Justice (r) Nasira 
Javaid Iqbal also joined the protest.

The protesters, wearing black armbands and holding placards, gathered in 
front of the District Jail at 1pm and shouted slogans against President 
General (r) Pervez Musharraf and the police officials. They demanded that 
the government release the arrested students. The participants staged a 
sit-in in front of the District Jail and distributed stickers and posters 
among the passers-by. A female student told Daily Times that students would 
continue their protest till the release of their friends. She said they had 
taken oath that they would not leave other students in trouble. She said 
police officials had asked her no to join the protest.

A lawyer said, "Our solidarity with students will continue till the 
restoration of the constitution." No struggle, he said, could succeed 
without the participation of students. "We will carry on our struggle with 
students in colleges and universities," he added.

Strong contingents of police tried to stop students from coming on the 
roads, but took no action. A police official, requesting anonymity, told 
Daily Times, "We don't want to disturb students, as they are demanding their 
rights. I also don't think their protest is a violation of rules. We have 
requested the protestors to disperse after some time."

Protestors, representing civil society, also denounced the arrest of ASR 
Resource Centre's Pervaiz Khurshid who was arrested on Thursday night from 
the residence of sacked Justice Shahid Saddiqi. They said they would not 
disperse till the release of Khurshid. Model Town division superintendent of 
police (SP) Imran Ahmed ordered the station house officer (SHO) concerned to 
investigate the matter. The Women Action Forum (WAF) and lawyers condemned 
the arrest and demanded action against the officials involved in arresting 
Khurshid.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C12%5C07%5Cstory_7-12-2007_pg1_8

Lawyers protest across country, boycott courts
* Many injured in clashes with police in Multan
* RDBA demands govt restore sacked judges

ISLAMABAD: Lawyers on Thursday boycotted court proceedings, hoisted black 
flags and staged rallies in various cities to demand an end to the emergency 
rule, reinstatement of dismissed judges and the restoration of the 
constitution, AP reported.

Lawyers in Islamabad, and provincial capitals confirmed that they refused to 
appear in courts, and that hundreds staged protest gatherings, mostly at 
court premises.

Clashes in Multan: Several lawyers and police were injured in scuffles 
during a protest rally in Multan, Online reported.

The Multan Bar Association (MBA) took out a protest rally in the court 
premises in connection with "Save the Judiciary Movement". A heavy 
contingent of police deployed outside the court premises tried to stop the 
lawyers from coming on the road. As a result, clashes erupted between the 
police and lawyers. Several lawyers, including Khalid Ashraf Khan and Mian 
Adil Mushtaq, were injured due to police baton-charge. Multan DSP Naeem Khan 
Babar received a heavy thrashing from the furious protesters. Also, lawyers 
in Rawalpindi boycotted courts, according to a Daily Times report. Hundreds 
of lawyers gathered at Rawalpindi District Courts, and took out a rally led 
by LHCBA Rawalpindi chapter President Sardar Azmatullah. After taking a 
round of the district courts, the protesters blocked the Kutchery Chowk for 
half-an-hour.

RDBA demands: Later, a meeting of the Rawalpindi District Bar Association 
(RDBA) was held, which demanded that deposed judges be restored, and media 
curbs lifted. staff report/agencies

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C12%5C07%5Cstory_7-12-2007_pg13_5

Wives of four former judges protest at Siddiqi's house
LAHORE: Wives of four former judges participated in a protest on Thursday to 
express solidarity with deposed Lahore High Court judge MA Shahid Siddiqi. 
Among the protesters were Mrs Justice (r) MK Samdani, Mrs Justice (r) Javed 
Iqbal, Mrs Justice (deposed) Asif Saeed Khan Khosa and Mrs Justice (r) 
Jawwad S Khawaja. Justice (r) Nasira Javed Iqbal told Daily Times that she 
had appealed to all the segments of society to raise their voice against the 
illegalities of the government. She said it was the suitable time for the 
nation to save their country otherwise the nation would have to face the 
consequences of unconstitutional steps of the government. Dozens of lawyers, 
civil society activists and the Punjab University students also held a rally 
in GOR on Thursday to express solidarity with deposed LHC judges, Shahid 
Siddiqi and Justice Ijaz. The protesters were holding national flag and were 
chanting anti-government slogans. Besides Punjab University Law College 
students and lawyers, the activists of the Women's Action Forum, Shirkatgah 
Women Resource Centre, Concern Citizen Association, Labour Party and 
Tehrik-e-Insaf also participated in the protest. rana tanveer

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5ja_qQ4ADPdImDdhWdb4Jtlignc2A

Pakistani lawyers protest, ex-PM Sharif blocked from home of dismissed chief 
justice
Dec 6, 2007
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Thousands of lawyers boycotted courts across Pakistan 
on Thursday while police blocked former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and 
hundreds of his supporters from marching to the heavily guarded home of the 
country's deposed chief justice.
Riot police nearly outnumbered the protesters in Islamabad, using concrete 
blocks and barbed wire to block the march to the official residence of 
ex-chief justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry.
Chaudhry has been under house arrest since Nov. 3, when President Pervez 
Musharraf declared a state of emergency and dismissed most of the Supreme 
Court. The moved came just before the court was to rule on the validity of 
Musharraf's October re-election by a parliament controlled by his 
supporters.
Musharraf has since stacked the court with loyalists, who promptly dismissed 
all complaints against the former general's election.
Meanwhile, lawyers in various cities boycotted court proceedings, hoisted 
black flags and staged rallies to demand an end to emergency rule, 
reinstatement of the dismissed judges, and restoration of the constitution, 
said Syed Mohammed Tayyab, secretary general of Islamabad Bar Association.
Lawyers in Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta, Lahore and Karachi confirmed that 
they refused to appear in court and hundreds of them staged protest 
gatherings, mostly at court premises. Several lawyers and police were 
injured in scuffles at a rally in the central city of Multan, witnesses 
said.
In Islamabad, Sharif led the marchers who included members of his party, 
lawyers in black suits and a number of women carrying flowers. Many chanted 
"Finish with your show; go, Musharraf, go."
Sharif briefly addressed them before they dispersed peacefully, defusing a 
potential showdown with a government that has shown no tolerance for public 
dissent.
Sharif, who was ousted by Musharraf in a 1999 coup and only returned from 
exile 10 days ago, vowed to continue pursuing the reinstatement of Chaudhry 
and other judges.
"I want to tell the nation that past dictators were also used to ousting 
prime ministers, arresting them from their houses and hanging even one of 
them," he said. "Now a dictator has attacked the judiciary, and if the 
nation today ignores these actions of a dictator, history will not forgive 
it."
Since returning from exile in Saudi Arabia, Sharif has become the 
president's most vehement critic.
Another former prime minister and key opposition leader, Benazir Bhutto, 
said Thursday that the issue of reinstating the justices should be left to 
the future parliament.
Bhutto indicated that her party may call for anti-government protests if 
parliamentary elections on Jan. 8 are rigged.
"Either the elections will be fair and the people will get their own 
parliament, or if elections are not fair, then the movement will start," 
Bhutto told reporters.
She planned to fly to Dubai on Friday after document problems prevented her 
from boarding a flight to Dubai on Thursday. She was stopped at Islamabad's 
airport when she mistakenly presented an old, expired passport during a 
standard document check.
Representatives of Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-N group and Bhutto's 
Pakistan Peoples party were reported to be nearing agreement Thursday on a 
joint set of conditions for their participation in the elections.
The parties are expected to demand restoration of an independent judiciary 
and the constitution and creation of a neutral caretaker government and 
independent election commission, and will likely set a deadline for 
government compliance.
"We're optimistic that we'll reach agreement because everyone wants to pull 
the country out of this crisis and prevent Musharraf from rigging the 
elections," said Ahsan Iqbal, spokesman for the Pakistan Muslim League-N.
"Despite our differences in the past, we are legitimate democratic parties 
while Musharraf is an illegitimate military dictator."
A boycott would undercut efforts that Musharraf - a key ally in the U.S. war 
on terror - says he is making to engineer a transition to democracy for 
Pakistan after eight years of military rule.
It also would represent a major setback for the United States, which has 
promoted the former armed forces chief as a moderate leader able to stand up 
to Islamic extremism.
Musharraf has freed most of the thousands of opposition activists and other 
arrested in the immediate aftermath of his Nov. 3 declaration of emergency 
rule. He also has promised to lift the emergency Dec. 16, about three weeks 
before the elections.

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/12/06/pakistan.crisis/

December 6, 2007 -- Updated 1127 GMT (1927 HKT)

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Scores of lawyers rallied outside the house of 
Pakistan's ousted chief justice to demand his reinstatement on Thursday in 
the latest demonstration against emergency measures imposed by the country's 
crisis-hit president.

Lawyers shout slogans outside the house of ousted chief justice Iftikhar 
Muhammed Chaudhry.

The protest came as opposition leader Nawaz Sharif tried to breach security 
outside the home of the former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry in 
Islamabad to try to meet with him.
Chaudhry has been kept in his home since November 3, when President Pervez 
Musharraf imposed a state of emergency, using it to crackdown on opponents, 
including members of the judiciary likely to block his new term as 
president.
A spokesman for Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League told CNN that Sharif would 
attempt to talk with Chaudhry, who was among judges sacked by Musharraf.
Musharraf, who quit as military chief and was installed for a second five 
year term last month, has drawn criticism from nuclear-armed Pakistan's 
Western allies for the emergency, which he says will end ahead of a January 
8 election.
A police spokesman at the rally told CNN authorities have not placed 
Chaudhry under official house arrest. The officer cited risks to security 
and law and order as reasons for keeping him under wraps and restricting 
access to his home.
Outnumbering protesters three to one, hundreds of Pakistani security force 
members, some dressed in riot gear, stood behind barbed wire and concrete 
blocks that blocked off one of the roads leading to Chaudhry's house.
Scores of protesters chanted "Go Musharraf! Go!" while some protesters held 
signs that said "Stop slaughtering the judiciary" and "No one man show."
Chaudhry has issued key rulings that have weakened Musharraf's grip on 
power -- including lifting the exile imposed on Sharif, an outspoken critic 
of Musharraf, the man who ousted him from power in a 1999 military coup.
Sharif returned to Pakistan last month, ending seven years in exile in Saudi 
Arabia..
Earlier this week Sharif was disqualified from participating in Pakistan's 
January parliamentary elections because of a previous criminal conviction, a 
party spokesman said.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C12%5C12%5Cstory_12-12-2007_pg7_19

Journalists vow to continue their protest against media curbs

ISLAMABAD: Journalists of Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Tuesday continued 
their protest against the media curbs.

They gathered in front of the offices of newspaper to press the government 
for their demands. Members of the civil society and students also joined the 
protesting journalists. They were carrying placards and banners inscribed 
with slogans 'Stop violence against media', 'Restore freedom of press' and 
'Restore the Chief Justice of Pakistan'. They condemned the code of conduct 
and ordinances being promulgated to curb the freedom of media. The 
journalists said they had been playing a vital role in the development of 
the country since its establishment.

They urged the government to restore the freedom of media and maintain the 
rule of law in the country. They also demanded restoration of the deposed 
Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and other judges who 
had refused to take oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order.

The journalists said they were united for their right to factual reporting. 
They said freedom of expression was the basic fundamental right of the 
people and no authority could suspend it without any solid justification. 
They also called upon Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) 
to avoid unfair measures against the media. The media persons said they 
would resist all the unfair policies and measures of the government and they 
were ready to face all hardships for the independence of media. They also 
vowed to continue their struggle for media freedom.

Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) Secretary General Mazhar Abbass 
and Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) President Afzal Butt 
addressed the participants of the protest rally. A contingent of police and 
senior officials of the security forces were present on this occasion. staff 
report

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C12%5C14%5Cstory_14-12-2007_pg7_50

ISF organises protest rally

Staff Report

PESHAWAR: The Insaaf Student Federation (ISF) organised a protest rally 
against the imposition of emergency and for the freedom of judiciary here on 
Thursday at the main campus of the University of Peshawar.

ISF is the student wing of Imran Khan's Tehreek-e-Insaaf, which has 
boycotted the 2008 general elections.

More than 100 students participated in the rally. ISF campus President Murad 
Khan led the rally.

"We want a free judiciary in our country," Murad Khan said, adding that, 
"All political parties should boycott the up coming general elections." He 
requested the student community to raise their voice against the imposition 
of martial law in the country.

"Free and fair elections are not possible in the country without the 
presence of a free judiciary," he added. He pledged that the student 
community could save the country by launching a movement against the present 
administration.

"We want rule of law in our country and not rule of a few individuals," he 
said.

He said that it was a 'do or die' situation for the country and its people.

He resented the negative approach of some political parties in handling the 
judicial crisis.

"Every political party should demand the restoration of former chief justice 
Iftikhar Chaudhry," he said.

Earlier students belonging to different departments gathered in front of the 
Institute of Management Sciences (IMS) from where they walked towards the 
vice chancellor's (VC) house.

The rally was stopped by the police in front of the Law College and was not 
allowed to proceed. However, there was no clash between the students and the 
administration and the rally remained peaceful. It was the first activity 
organised by ISF on the campus.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C12%5C17%5Cstory_17-12-2007_pg7_38

Protest against 'anti-press laws' to continue until Jan 10: PFUJ

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) on Sunday 
announced the third phase of its protest against the two "anti-press" laws 
and restrictions on private TV channels, which would continue until January 
10.

The PFUJ decided to continue the protest campaign launched on November 5 
following the government's refusal to withdraw the two amended ordinances, 
Registration of Printing and Publication Ordinance RPO-2002 and the Pakistan 
Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA-2002), said a PFUJ statement.

"Despite the lifting of emergency on December 15, the media is not free and 
we have evidence to prove our case. If the president is not interested in 
lifting restrictions, the media organisations will not hold negotiations 
with the government and continue protests," said the PFUJ statement.

The PFUJ, after consultation with its affiliated bodies, has decided that 
all journalist unions will set up protest camps that would continue until 
January 10.

The statement said that a meeting would also be held on December 27 with 
professional bodies including the Supreme Court Bar Association, the 
Pakistan Medical Association, trade unions and teachers associations to 
evolve a joint strategy to press the government to withdraw anti-media laws.

It said after the January 8 general elections, the PFUJ would give a call 
for a large demonstration outside the Parliament on the occasion of the 
first session of the new National Assembly. staff report

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C12%5C16%5Cstory_16-12-2007_pg13_1

Candlelight protest outside Aitzaz's house

* Lawyers, students and human rights activists among protesters
* Protesters shout pro-Aitzaz slogans, demand government release detained 
lawyers

By Rana Tanveer

LAHORE: Lawyers, students, civil society activists and maternal aunt of 
Humayun Akhtar and a city district government official along with his family 
held a candlelight protest outside Aitzaz's residence on Saturday.

The protesters denounced the government for not restoring the judges and for 
not releasing the detained lawyers including Aitzaz Ahsan, Justice (r) Tariq 
Mehmood and Ali Ahmed Kurd. The one-hour long protest culminated on the 
Canal Road.

The protesters, both men and women, shouted slogans on the beat of a drum 
and demanded the government release Barrister Aitzaz and other lawyers.

Participants were Lahore district officer (Environment) Tariq Zaman, human 
rights activist Faryal Gohar, Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) vice 
president Ghulam Nabi Bhatti, SCBA secretary Amin Javed, Lahore High Court 
Bar Association vice president Firdos Butt, Lahore Bar Association (LBA) 
president Sayyed Muhammad Shah, LBA joint secretary Chanda Jamil, Khaksar 
Tehreek president Hamiduddin Mashraqi, the Women's Action Forum and 
Shirkatgah Women Resource Centre activists, LUMS students and a good number 
of children.

Bushra Aitzaz thanked the participants for holding the protest. The 
protesters wore stickers inscribed with pictures of Aitzaz behind the bars 
and quotations demanding restoration of the deposed judges.

They also observed a sit-in outside Aitzaz's residence for about 30 minutes.

The protesters later marched towards the Canal Road. Reaching at the Canal, 
they chanted slogans. They, however, did not disturb the traffic.

Tariq Zaman after realising the presence of media men avoided to talk and 
left the scene. Sadiqa Sahibdad, Humayun Akhtar's aunt, told Daily Times, 
"My presence on the scene shows that I favour the truth. I participated in 
the independence movement at the age of four. At the time I raised the same 
slogans which I am raising now."

She said the military government had compelled her after 60 years to come to 
the streets for 'independence'.

She said she would continue raising voice till the ouster of the government 
and restoration of the deposed judges.

She said the "king's party" had hijacked the country. She said she had been 
arrested a few days ago for holding a rally in favour of Imran Khan. She 
said, "My husband is also a retired army officer, but I cannot even justify 
the military's wrongdoings."

Taimur, a bank employee, said only the nation could compel the 'usurpers' to 
let the true democracy and constitution restored.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C12%5C20%5Cstory_20-12-2007_pg7_17

Lawyers' protest mars hearing at SC branch

Staff Report

LAHORE: Lawyers, human rights activists and students on Wednesday set up a 
combined hunger strike camp in front of the Supreme Court (SC) registry 
office to protest against the first proceedings at the SC branch after the 
judiciary was purged of following the imposition of emergency rule.

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), the Lahore High Court Bar 
Association (LHCBA), and the Lahore Bar Association office bearers sat at 
the camp set up on a footpath outside the SC.

The protesters were holding banners and posters inscribed with demands for 
the restoration of the deposed judges and release of lawyers and their 
leaders.

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) chairwoman Asma Jehangir, SCBA 
secretary Ameen Javed, LHCBA vice president Firdos Butt, Pakistan Bar 
Council member Hamid Khan, LBA president Sayyed Muhammad Shah, vice 
president Mian Asmatullah, secretary Shamim Malik, joint secretary Chanda 
Jameel and former LHCBA president Ahmed Awais were also present at the camp. 
The protesters raised slogans against the government and its allies for 
deposing the anti-PCO judges. The lawyers said they would continue their 
struggle till the restoration of the deposed judges.

Asma said civil society would continue cooperating with the lawyers till the 
restoration of the judiciary to its pre-November 03 status. No lawyer had 
appeared before the PCO judges at the SC registry office, she added.

She condemned lawyers who had been appearing before the judges who took oath 
under the PCO. She advised them not to appear in the PCO judges' courts and 
stick to lawyers' one-point agenda for the restoration of the judiciary to 
its pre-emergency status.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C12%5C18%5Cstory_18-12-2007_pg11_2

Journalists' protest enters 45th day

ISLAMABAD: The journalists of Rawalpindi and Islamabad continued their 
protest on the 45th day on Monday to press the government to remove curbs on 
media and judiciary. The protesting journalists staged a sit-in in front of 
the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Press Club camp office. Tehreek-e-Insaaf Chairman 
Imran Khan also joined the journalists to express solidarity with them.

Speaking on the occasion, Khan said the country at present was not "totally 
independent", as the judiciary and media had been barred from working 
independently. "After 1947, it is another freedom movement, launched by 
journalists, lawyers and civil society members," he added.

He said that those who had violated Article 6 of the constitution were 
traitors and should be brought to justice, adding that the journalists were 
fighting for the freedom of the whole nation. Pakistan Federal Union of 
Journalists (PFUJ) Secretary General Mazhar Abbas said that it was 
regrettable that members of the board of governors of the Pakistan 
Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) were ignorant of the ban 
imposed on private TV channels. staff report

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C12%5C18%5Cstory_18-12-2007_pg13_1

Students protest curbs on media

* Students shout slogans, distribute fliers among people
* Police urge students not to march on The Mall
* Human rights activists and legal fraternity members also among protesters

By Adnan Lodhi

LAHORE: About 150 students demonstrated on Monday in front of Nasser Bagh 
against the curbs on the judiciary and the media. The Students Action 
Committee (SAC) had called for the protest.

Human rights activists and legal fraternity members also participated in the 
protest. The protesters wore black armbands and shouted pro-Chief Justice of 
Pakistan (deposed) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and anti-Musharraf slogans.

The police officials and officers kept on urging students not to march on 
the road, but to no avail. The protesters stayed at the Anarkali Chowk, The 
Mall, for 20 minutes.

The SAC members told Daily Times they were protesting for the restoration of 
the judiciary. They said students would not sit idle till the restoration of 
judiciary, human rights and the constitution.

A protester said President Musharraf had made a mockery of the constitution 
by making amendments for his (Musharraf's) personal benefits. He said, "Due 
to Musharraf's policies the country was fallen into chaos."

Superintendent of police Ahsan said the police had the right to employ any 
means to tackle the protesters.

Students returned to the Istanbul Chowk and stayed there for half-an-hour. 
They also made speeches on the megaphone. Passers-by waved at the students 
and flashed victory signs. The protesters dispersed peacefully at 2:45pm.

Students were carrying placards inscribed with slogans Emergency Lifted, 
Nothing Changed and Restore the Judiciary. They also shouted Go Musharraf Go 
on megaphones.

They also distributed fliers among the people urging them to protest against 
the present regime. Ali, a protester, said, "The protest is an eye opener 
against the mockery of the constitution, sacking of judges and curbs on the 
media."

"Students will continue to work for the restoration of the judiciary, which 
is a true mechanism for a free and enlightened nation," said a female 
participant.

The protesters later marched back to Nasser Bagh. They gathered near the 
National College of Arts (NCA) and shouted slogans for about 20 minutes. 
They also formed a human chain outside NCA. They demanded the restoration of 
the judiciary to pre-November 3 state.

A student sang parody of a famous national song along with other 
participants - Tera Pakistan Hai Na Mera Pakistan Hai; Yea Us Ka Pakistan 
Hai Jo Sadr-e-Pakistan Hai. At the end of the protest the students sang the 
national anthem.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C12%5C24%5Cstory_24-12-2007_pg11_4

Journalists' protest continues on Eid

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Journalists of Islamabad and Rawalpindi continued protesting 
against media restrictions and for deposed judges outside Rawalpindi/ 
Islamabad Press Club's camp office during Eid days.

Journalists staged sit-in and said that they would continue protest until 
government lifted media curbs and restore deposed judges.

They said the government had imposed restrictions on media and judiciary 
after the two had started holding it accountable for unlawful actions. They 
said that media coverage of certain issues and election reporting didn't sit 
well with the government and therefore, media had to face restrictions.

They demanded early freedom of media and restoration of deposed judges.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C12%5C25%5Cstory_25-12-2007_pg11_4

Islamabad lawyers resume protest

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Lawyers resumed their protest after Eid vacations and staged a 
hunger strike camp at the district courts to protest suspension of superior 
judiciary and the Constitution.

They rejected the Jan 8 election and alleged that the former ruling party 
was misusing state machinery and resources to rig the election. They said 
election results had already been finalised and would be formalised on Jan 
8.

Islamabad District Bar Association (IDBA) President Haroonur Rasheed alleged 
that the government had already decided election results and will not allow 
any opposition party to get majority in the Parliament.

He said increasing lawlessness in the country was another major concern and 
believed that an independent judiciary could stop the surging crime rate. He 
said people would stop taking the law into their own hands once judiciary 
administered them justice.

He demanded restoration of all deposed judges and said that the present 
handpicked PCO judges would only worsen the county's law and order 
situation.

The district courts wore a deserted look on Monday, as majority of lawyers 
preferred to stay at home due to Christmas holidays.

A small number of lawyers present at the camp chanted anti-government 
slogans, demanding restoration of ousted judges and 1973 Constitution.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C01%5C06%5Cstory_6-1-2008_pg7_30

SAC calls for protest on January 8

LAHORE: The Student Action Committee (SAC) has called for a protest on 
January 8,2008 at 2 pm at Minar-e-Pakistan, in collaboration with civil 
society groups including lawyers and activists.

According to a press release issued by the SAC on Saturday, this protest is 
against the removal of the "pre Nov 3" judiciary that stood for a just rule 
of law.

They believe that the current regime's detention and treatment of Aitzaz 
Ahsen was baseless and only favoured a partisan attitude. According to the 
statement, the SAC urged the nation to join them in their protests at 
Minar-e-Pakistan and to not allow the nation to be exploited by 
opportunistic leaders and political parties. Furthermore they accused the 
current establishment of being inefficient in the case of the slain former 
prime minister Benazir Bhutto. staff report

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C01%5C08%5Cstory_8-1-2008_pg11_7

Journalists continue protest

ISLAMABAD: Journalists of the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad 
continued their protest in front of the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Press Club camp 
office for the 64th day on Monday to press the government for lifting curbs 
on the media.

They said media curbs were an attempt to deprive the people of their 
constitutional right to freedom of speech and unhindered access to 
information. They regretted that the government was framing cases against 
them in order to discourage them from performing their professional duties.

They vowed to continue their struggle and lend their support to other 
segments of society struggling for their rights. staff report

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4&section=0&article=105545&d=11&m=1&y=2008

Bomber Kills 26 in Lahore
Azhar Masood, Arab News


ISLAMABAD, 11 January 2008 - A suicide bomber killed at least 22 police 
officers and four civilians outside the Lahore High Court yesterday.

The bombing, which comes just two weeks after the assassination of 
opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, ripped through a busy square in the city 
center as dozens of riot police gathered ahead of an anti-government protest 
by lawyers.

Up to 60 people, mainly police officers, were rushed to hospital. Dead 
police officers, dressed in full riot gear with protective vests and 
helmets, were seen lying where they had fallen. A dead horse, still attached 
to a vendor's cart, lay nearby.

"Twenty-two policemen died in the attack, six are critically wounded... 
Around 35 have minor injuries," Lahore police chief Malik Iqbal told 
reporters. It was the first suicide bombing in Lahore, a relatively 
prosperous and secure city of about seven million people in Punjab province, 
since the wave of attacks began last year.

Police constable Jameel Ahmed told local TV channels that the attacker was a 
man aged around 25, who had arrived outside the court on a motorbike. It is 
said that the bomber approached a police picket, was signaled to stop and 
then triggered a device packed with ball bearings.

"It was a very loud blast. I was one of the first who rushed out of the 
court and I saw a man bleeding from his nose and mouth. He died minutes 
later," said lawyer Khurram Latif Khosa. "I saw about 50 to 60 injured 
police, bleeding, scattered everywhere. They were asking for water. There 
were body parts on the ground."

A wounded officer with his clothes blown off by the force of the blast lay 
in the street screaming for help as security forces scrambled to cordon off 
the area. Television pictures showed wounded policemen being hauled onto 
stretchers and taken away by ambulance. Police caps, boots and riot shields 
littered the road.

A security official said the head of a man with shoulder-length hair and a 
short beard, suspected to be the bomber, had been recovered.

After visiting the blast site, Inspector General of Punjab Police Nasim 
Ahmed told reporters that the bomber's target was the police force. "Today's 
bombing was to demoralize the Punjab police, but it will not. They have 
given their lives while performing their duty."

Mohammad Arshad, an 18-year-old clerk working in a lawyer's office across 
the road, said he saw blood and bits of flesh sticking to the broken windows 
of his building.

Information Minister Nisar Memon blamed the attack on a terrorist campaign 
to disrupt elections and derail democracy. He told state television that the 
election would be held as scheduled.

President Pervez Musharraf and caretaker Prime Minister Mohammedmian Soomro 
condemned the attack and ordered authorities to hunt down the perpetrators. 
"Such elements are not believers in any religion or in any human ethics," 
said Soomro.

Critics of the government, however, blamed Musharraf for the recent spate of 
suicide bombings. "It's not only that people feel that (the government) is 
not doing enough... There is also a feeling that the government machinery is 
maybe somewhere connected to all this," said popular human rights activist 
Asma Jahangir.

"It looks like the government wants to avoid general elections through such 
means," said Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leader Zafar Ali Shah.

"The rulers have failed to maintain law and order in the country or a 
conspiracy is being hatched to avert polls," said Liyaquat Baloch, leader of 
the Jamaat-e-Islami.

The pulse of Pakistani politics beats strongest in Lahore, a city that is 
home to many of the country's elite and families of army officers. Punjab is 
Pakistan's most populous and richest province.

-    Additional input from agencies

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C01%5C10%5Cstory_10-1-2008_pg7_50

Journalists continue protest on 66th day

ISLAMABAD: Journalists continued protest against the media curbs on the 66th 
consecutive day on Wednesday. The protest started on November 3, when a 
state of emergency was imposed in the country.

Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) Secretary General Mazhar Abbas 
said the PIMRA had no legal value, its formation was unconstitutional and it 
had not been approved by the Senate. Abbas said the rulers and 'some hidden 
hands' wanted to curb the media in the country. He demanded immediate 
closure of the PIMRA and suspension of its employees.

He said a local TV channel had been victimised and those that were on air 
were also under pressure by the PIMRA and its illegal regulations. The PFUJ 
secretary general criticised the government for targeting journalists, as 
over 50 cases had been registered against journalists only in Karachi after 
the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid leader 
Mushahid Hussain and J Salik, a former minister, also participated in the 
protest.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article3168563.ece

January 11, 2008
Suicide bomber kills 24 as lawyers meet for Musharraf protest
Jeremy Page and Zahid Hussain in Islamabad

A suicide bomber shattered the relative calm of Lahore - the second-biggest 
city in Pakistan - yesterday when he rushed up to riot police outside the 
High Court and blew himself up, killing at least 24 people.

Pakistan has suffered a series of suicide attacks since July, including one 
that killed Benazir Bhutto two weeks ago, but this was the first in Lahore 
and it raised fears of an upsurge in militant activity before parliamentary 
elections on Feburary 18.

It came as eight detectives from Scotland Yard were elsewhere in the city - 
the capital of the eastern province of Punjab - to examine evidence from the 
assassination of Ms Bhutto, the opposition leader and former Prime Minister.

The attack yesterday, which wounded at least 60 people, appeared to be aimed 
to coincide with a meeting of lawyers from the Lahore High Court Bar 
Association, who were about to begin their weekly protest against President 
Musharraf.
Related Links
Analysis: prepare for a bloody run-in to election
Bhutto son 'fears Pakistan may fall apart'

Police said that a man aged about 20 pulled up near the court on a 
motorcycle just before midday, ran at the police cordon and detonated a 
jacket containing 14kg (30lb) of explosives and 3kg of ball bearings. "It 
appears the bomber was on foot and, as soon as some policemen tried to stop 
him, he blew himself up," Malik Muhammad Iqbal, the chief of police, told 
reporters at the scene. All but two of those killed were policemen, he said.

Lawyers who rushed out of the court complex described seeing dozens of 
police lying dead or injured on the ground, their helmets, shields and 
batons strewn around them, all spattered in blood. A dead horse also lay in 
the street, still attached to a cart, alongside a mangled motorbike.

"We heard a huge bang and the building shook," Mian Jameel Akhtar, a Lahore 
High Court advocate, said. "After a few seconds the smoke came in and we 
knew from the smell that it was a bomb. I went to the gate and saw pieces of 
bodies scattered hither and thither. It was terrible."

Tasaddaq Hussain, the Lahore police chief investigator, said that his men 
had found the bomber's head about 100 metres from the blast site and would 
reconstruct it and extract DNA to try to establish his identity.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but security officials said 
that they suspected militants linked to the Taleban and al-Qaeda, who are 
sheltering in the tribal areas of northwestern Pakistan. Among the chief 
suspects is Beitullah Mehsud, the Pakistani Taleban leader based in South 
Waziristan whom the Government blames for Ms Bhutto's death, although he 
denies any involvement.

Government officials said that police had been the target of yesterday's 
attack, which was the biggest since Ms Bhutto's assassination and came as 
the army prepared for a major offensive against Mr Mehsud.

Nisar Memon, the Federal Information Minister, said that the violence would 
not affect the election schedule.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C01%5C13%5Cstory_13-1-2008_pg11_3

Journalists continue protest on 69th day

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: The protests of the twin cities journalists against the media 
curbs continued on the 69th day on Saturday. The journalists staged the 
protest outside the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Press Club camp office on the call 
of Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ).

Politicians, lawyers, students and civil society members joined the protests 
to express their solidarity with the journalists. The protesters raised 
anti-government slogans and vowed to continue their struggle against the 
laws promulgated by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority 
(PEMRA).

Speaking on the occasion, former AJK prime minister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry 
said that free and fair elections were impossible without a free media. He 
also urged the government to reinstate the deposed superior court judges who 
had refused to take oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO).

APDM representative Iftikhar Chaudhary also criticised the government for 
its measures against the judiciary and stressed the need for unity among the 
people to rid the country of dictatorship. Lawyers and other segments of the 
society also criticised the government for imposing curbs on the media.