Karachi : Both sides were determined to do what they had come to do; Pasban wanted to stage a rally outside the American consulate against Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s detention and her deteriorating health in jail in the United States, while police had orders not to let the protesters enter the so-called “red zone” at any cost. Eventually, the latter succeeded.

But that success came only after an hours-long traffic mess on several major roads in Saddar and a showdown between the protesters and the police, who used water canon and batons to disperse the rally.

Pasban, a group closely linked to the Jamaat-e-Islami, threatened to march on the US consulate again after two days in protest against the detention of Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist convicted in September 2010 of attempting to kill US military officials in Afghanistan in 2008.

The ultimatum was given by Fouzia Siddiqui, sister of Dr Siddiqui, soon after her release following a brief detention on Friday. Fouzia Siddiqui, Altaf Shakoor and several others were arrested while they were attempting to cross the security red zone to march towards the US consulate to submit a memorandum in this regard.

However, all of them were released on the orders of Governor Sindh Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan after an hour. Pasban, along with the Sunni Tehreek and other smaller groups, staged a protest rally outside the press club, from where they were to reach the US consulate. However, they were thwarted by the riot police.

As the protesters attempted to move towards US consulate by dodging the police through Abdullah Haroon Road, a heavy contingent of police resorted to a baton charge to disperse the crowd.

Over 400 personnel, including all the station house officers of District South, had been positioned in the red zone and all the roads leading towards consulate had been blocked with barbed wire and containers.

A large number of police personnel of District West also took positions at Merewether Tower, the road leading towards Mai Kolachi where the consulate is located. The riot police resorted to aerial firing to disperse the protesters. The aerial firing also forced people who were shopping in the nearby Zainab Market to take shelter inside the market.

The participants of the rally were carrying placards and portraits of Dr Siddiqui. A Suzuki van in which both Pasban leader Altaf Shakoor and Fouzia Siddiqui were riding had a poster that said: “The protest will continue against the aggressive attitude of the US towards Dr Aafia, whose health has deteriorated and who has contracted cancer, till her release.”

The emotionally-charged protesters were shouting slogans against the US, former military chief Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf and the sitting rulers, holding all of them responsible for handing over the neuroscientist and various “missing persons” to the United States.

The Governor House, which is situated in the red zone, was secured through barbed wire and the deployment of heavy contingents of stick-wielding police there. This created gridlock on Abdullah Haroon Road and other major arteries of the city, leaving thousands of motorists and commuters stranded in the evening rush hours.

Speaking to the protesters before her arrest, Fouzia Siddiqui said: “We only want to submit a memorandum to the consulate as we are peaceful people and do not want to create any mayhem. We would leave no stone unturned for Afia’s release even if we are sent behind bars.”

Shouting slogans against the US, she said her sister was jailed and subjected to sheer injustice. “We are the nation that always forgives as we did in the case of Raymond Davis and the Salala check post, so the US should also demonstrate the same gesture and release Afia,” she said. Pasban chief Altaf Shakoor accused the US of poisoning Siddiqui in jail, who, he said, had developed a cancer problem. He demanded that Pervez Musharraf should be hanged to death.

SOURCE : Thenews.com.pk

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