Police have attacked demonstrators in Karachi demanding the release of Pakistani neuroscientist Aafia Siddiqui, who is imprisoned in the United States.

On Friday, police beat protesters with batons, used water cannons, and fired tear gas canisters to disperse people marching toward the U.S. Consulate in Karachi.

About a dozen activists, including the sister of Aafia Siddiqui, Dr. Fouzia Siddiqui, were arrested. The detainees were charged with attempting to enter the “red zone” of the city.

The protesters were holding placards and banners bearing anti-U.S. slogans. They also denounced the Pakistani government for taking a hands-off approach in dealing with the Siddiqui issue.

The demonstrators had announced their intention to besiege the U.S. Consulate to highlight the plight of Siddiqui, who is currently detained at the Federal Medical Center Carswell in Fort Worth, Texas, which provides specialized medical and mental health services to female prisoners.

In September 2010, a court in New York sentenced Siddiqui to 86 years in prison after she was found guilty of opening fire on FBI agents and U.S. military personnel in a police station in Ghazni, Afghanistan, where she was being interrogated in 2008.

The mother of three vanished in Karachi with her three children on March 30, 2003. The following day, local newspapers reported that she had been abducted by U.S. forces and charged with terrorism.

Human rights groups say that Siddiqui had secretly been transferred to the U.S. base in Bagram, north of Kabul, and tortured for five years prior to the alleged incident in 2008.

She was taken to the U.S. in July 2008 and was convicted in a New York court in February 2010.

In Karachi on Friday, a spokesman for the protest march expressed resentment over the arrest of their leaders and called for their immediate release.

He said the demonstrators’ intentions were completely peaceful but the police deliberately created a chaotic situation by using excessive force against the protesters, led by Dr. Fouzia Siddiqui.

According to one report, she was later released.

Source : Press TV

Police teargas, baton charge rally staged for Dr Aafia’s release 

KARACHI: Police on Friday teargassed, baton charged and used water cannons on the rally taken out from the Karachi Press Club (KPC) and heading towards the US Consulate on Mai Kolachi Road on the call of Pasban Pakistan for the release of Dr Aafia Siddiqui from the US custody.

The rally was interrupted on Haji Abdullah Haroon Road near Zainab Market. The police also impounded their vehicles, took protesters into custody and shifted them to nearest police station. Besides, dozens of participants, including Pasban president Altaf Shakoor and Aafia Movement chairperson Dr Fouzia Siddiqui and her son, were also arrested.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Fouzia said that Dr Aafia is known as the daughter of the nation. She suggested police department to safeguard Dr Aafia.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Sunni Tehreek (ST) activists also joined the rally.

Abdullah Gul, son of Gen (r) Hameed Gul, Karachi Bar Association General Secretary Khalid Mumtaz, Aftab Qadri of ST, and Human Rights Network chairman Intikhab Alam Soori also addressed protesters at the KPC.

Police officials said they did not stop protesters when they were staging protest outside the KPC but they were compelled to take action against them, as it was the violation of Section 144 if they enter and stage a protest into the red zone.

Due to protest and police pickets, massive traffic jam on Empress Market, Abdullah Haroon Road, II Chundrigar Road, Pakistan Chowk and its surrounding areas was witnessed, while the markets were also closed during the clash between the rally participants and the police.

Saddar SP Tariq Dharejo said that the police was on their protection and they also asked them to return and not to enter the red zone but upon resistance, the police took them into the custody.

DIG South Commander Shaukat said police had released all detained persons, including Dr Fouzia.

Meanwhile, in a statement, PTI leaders have strongly condemned the police torture on protesters and arrest of Dr Fouzia, Shakoor and others.

SOURCE : Dailytimes.com.pk

• Share