Karachi
Mehreen Kisana had flown all the way from Lahore to attend a demonstration outside the Karachi Press Club on Saturday afternoon to protest the extrajudicial killing of Sarfaraz Shah by Rangers personnel.
“The troops have no right to kill the citizens,” she said.
The protesters, most of them were young, asked Director-General Sindh Rangers Aijaz Chaudhry to resign. Some termed the paramilitary force officials “terrorists in uniform” while others reprimanded Rehman Malik for trying to justify the murder.
“The Rangers should leave Karachi. Police and other institutions should be strengthened,” said Sajid Zaheer, a member of the Progressive Youth Front which had organised the demonstration attended be dozens of civil society members.
Television channels showed a video on Thursday in which Rangers personnel were shooting at an unarmed man, Sarfaraz Shah.
Zaheer demanded that Rs 5 million, out of the Sindh police budget, should go to Sarfaraz’s family as compensation. “This one case got media hype because its footage was available. Several similar cases, especially in Katchi Abadis, go unnoticed.”
Unlike regular protests outside the press club, most of the participants of this demonstration had no political affiliation or agenda. What had forced them to take to the streets? “Raising their voice is the only option they have. They obviously cannot raise weapons,” explained a fashion journalist, Mohsin Sayeed.
Citizens for Democracy, another NGO, plans to send draft letters to foreign and local media outlets to denounce the extrajudicial killing. “If we send twenty-five letters to each paper, our voice will make a difference,” Sayeed added.
Sabeen Mahmood, the founder of T2F, remarked that even if Sarfaraz was guilty he should have been taken to a court of law. “Otherwise, they should shut down all the courts,” she said, adding: “Today we are few, but our number will increase gradually.”
Another protester was of the opinion that ignorance was the main problem impeding the country’s progress. “Illiteracy is not Pakistan’s problem, ignorance is. Even the educated lot is ignorant.”
Mehreen Kisana had flown all the way from Lahore to attend a demonstration outside the Karachi Press Club on Saturday afternoon to protest the extrajudicial killing of Sarfaraz Shah by Rangers personnel.
“The troops have no right to kill the citizens,” she said.
The protesters, most of them were young, asked Director-General Sindh Rangers Aijaz Chaudhry to resign. Some termed the paramilitary force officials “terrorists in uniform” while others reprimanded Rehman Malik for trying to justify the murder.
“The Rangers should leave Karachi. Police and other institutions should be strengthened,” said Sajid Zaheer, a member of the Progressive Youth Front which had organised the demonstration attended be dozens of civil society members.
Television channels showed a video on Thursday in which Rangers personnel were shooting at an unarmed man, Sarfaraz Shah.
Zaheer demanded that Rs 5 million, out of the Sindh police budget, should go to Sarfaraz’s family as compensation. “This one case got media hype because its footage was available. Several similar cases, especially in Katchi Abadis, go unnoticed.”
Unlike regular protests outside the press club, most of the participants of this demonstration had no political affiliation or agenda. What had forced them to take to the streets? “Raising their voice is the only option they have. They obviously cannot raise weapons,” explained a fashion journalist, Mohsin Sayeed.
Citizens for Democracy, another NGO, plans to send draft letters to foreign and local media outlets to denounce the extrajudicial killing. “If we send twenty-five letters to each paper, our voice will make a difference,” Sayeed added.
Sabeen Mahmood, the founder of T2F, remarked that even if Sarfaraz was guilty he should have been taken to a court of law. “Otherwise, they should shut down all the courts,” she said, adding: “Today we are few, but our number will increase gradually.”
Another protester was of the opinion that ignorance was the main problem impeding the country’s progress. “Illiteracy is not Pakistan’s problem, ignorance is. Even the educated lot is ignorant.”
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(source:thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=52086&Cat=4&dt=6/12/2011)
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