ISLAMABAD: Thousands of people took to the streets across the country on Friday to protest the release of Raymond Davis, a CIA contractor who had been held for murder, and a US drone strike that killed over 40 people.
Security was tight and the US embassy in Islamabad and its consulates in Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar were closed in anticipation of public anger. A big protest rally in Islamabad called for sending President Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif to the gallows for conspiring the release of CIA contractor Raymond Davis.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) local amir former MNA Mian Muhammad Aslam spoke to the emotionally-charged gathering, mostly comprising of PTI and JI activists and workers.
The rally started from Lal Masjid and concluded at Aabpara Intersection, where Imran Khan and Mian Aslam delivered fiery speeches. Imran called on the people not to pay additional taxes and extra power charges unless the rulers declared their assets and brought back their wealth to Pakistan. He vowed to give a call to all Pakistanis: doctors, lawyers, labourers, farmers and youth for a civil disobedience movement soon.
The participants, mostly youth on reaching the intersection, had no idea whether to proceed towards the parliament house or the Diplomatic Enclave. They twice managed to break the police cordon and remove barricades and barbed wire placed on the road leading to the Red Zone, which resulted in a brief clash between youth and police.
“We shall continue to be treated like goats and sheep, if we do not come on roads for our rights. Raymond Davis killed two youths, where US drone attack on Thursday claimed over 40 innocent lives,” said Imran, clad in black shalwar kameez, as a youth, carrying a JI flag and wearing a police helmet, which he had snatched from policeman during the clash, approached him atop a truck.
The PTI chairman said those having wealth and assets abroad had no right to represent the masses in parliament. He accused President Zardari, the Sharif brothers and agencies of conspiring the release of Raymond Davis. “The two Sharif brothers must tell the nation, is not it so that they become kings to make factories and live in Raiwind Palace. Curse on them when they say that they have nothing to do with Raymond Davis release and that this has been done by the federal government and agencies,” PTI chief contended. About Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani’s statement against the drone attack, he called upon the army chief to stand his ground firmly.
The Jamaat-e-Islami, JUI-F, Pakistan Awami League, Sunni Tehrik and other religious groups and former ISI chief Lt Gen (R) Hamid Gul joined hands to protest against the release of Raymond Davis.
General Hamid Gul, JI naib amir Dr Muhammad Kamal, Awami Muslim League President Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Senator Abdul Ghafoor Haideri and Azam Swati of JUI-F, Maulana Ashraf Ali and other leaders led a big protest demonstration from Idara-e-Taleemul Quran in Raja Bazaar after Friday prayers.
In Lahore, activists of the PTI, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), JI, Jamatud Dawa, Islami Jamiat Talaba and the Insaaf Students Federation staged a combined protest rally against sending Raymond Davis to US without fulfilling the requirements of the law of the land, and vowed to continue protest till the end of the government.
The Sunni Ittehad Council Pakistan (SICP) members held a protest demonstration separately in front of Data Darbar. Also, lawyers observed ‘black day’ on Friday and denounced the acquittal and release of the CIA operative.
The protesters were carrying placards and banners having inscriptions against release of Davis and the government. They were chanting slogans against President Zardari, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani.
Addressing the rally, JI Ameer Syed Munawwar Hasan held the Punjab government responsible for helping Davis flee the country. He said tour of the Sharif brothers to the UK was also part of the agenda. He alleged that Sharif brothers were traitors. He alleged the ISI was hand in glove with the CIA to kill innocent Pakistanis. He said such policies of the army were damaging its image in the eyes of the public.
Jamatud Dawa leader Ameer Hamza, addressing the protesters, said anti-state actors had hijacked the rulers. He said the rulers had been accusing religious people, but when original killer was arrested they themselves helped his release. He urged the religious parties to be united against the government. He said Hussain Haqqani and Rehman Malik should be prosecuted for issuing visas to terrorists like Raymond.
The protesters gathered near Masjid-e-Shuhada from where they started marching towards the Punjab Assembly building. At Faisal Chowk, the speakers delivered speeches. All shops on The Mall remained closed, while traffic remained blocked for about three hours. The Imamia Students Organisation (ISO) also held a big demonstration outside the Lahore Press Club against the release of Davis and ongoing atrocities in Bahrain.
Speaking at a general house meeting of the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA), lawyers strongly flayed politicians, army and secret agencies and accused them of playing a dirty role in the Davis case.
Protests against the release of Raymond Davis also held in Karachi. A number of people gathered outside Baitul Makaram Masjid after Friday prayer and chanted slogans against the release of Davis.
Addressing a protest, JI Deputy Chief Professor Abdul Ghafoor said federal and Punjab governments had committed crime against the nation and the country by releasing Raymond Davis. The JUI-F also held protests at various places in Karachi. Several other parties and organisations also held protests against the release of the CIA contractor.
In Multan, hundreds of people chanted slogans against the United States and Pakistani government, charging their rulers with ‘bartering the national honour for their own luxuries’. In Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan tribal district where recent drone attacks have been concentrated, more than 1,000 tribesmen called for an immediate end to drone strikes and compensation to victims’ families.
Security was tight and the US embassy in Islamabad and its consulates in Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar were closed in anticipation of public anger. A big protest rally in Islamabad called for sending President Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif to the gallows for conspiring the release of CIA contractor Raymond Davis.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) local amir former MNA Mian Muhammad Aslam spoke to the emotionally-charged gathering, mostly comprising of PTI and JI activists and workers.
The rally started from Lal Masjid and concluded at Aabpara Intersection, where Imran Khan and Mian Aslam delivered fiery speeches. Imran called on the people not to pay additional taxes and extra power charges unless the rulers declared their assets and brought back their wealth to Pakistan. He vowed to give a call to all Pakistanis: doctors, lawyers, labourers, farmers and youth for a civil disobedience movement soon.
The participants, mostly youth on reaching the intersection, had no idea whether to proceed towards the parliament house or the Diplomatic Enclave. They twice managed to break the police cordon and remove barricades and barbed wire placed on the road leading to the Red Zone, which resulted in a brief clash between youth and police.
“We shall continue to be treated like goats and sheep, if we do not come on roads for our rights. Raymond Davis killed two youths, where US drone attack on Thursday claimed over 40 innocent lives,” said Imran, clad in black shalwar kameez, as a youth, carrying a JI flag and wearing a police helmet, which he had snatched from policeman during the clash, approached him atop a truck.
The PTI chairman said those having wealth and assets abroad had no right to represent the masses in parliament. He accused President Zardari, the Sharif brothers and agencies of conspiring the release of Raymond Davis. “The two Sharif brothers must tell the nation, is not it so that they become kings to make factories and live in Raiwind Palace. Curse on them when they say that they have nothing to do with Raymond Davis release and that this has been done by the federal government and agencies,” PTI chief contended. About Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani’s statement against the drone attack, he called upon the army chief to stand his ground firmly.
The Jamaat-e-Islami, JUI-F, Pakistan Awami League, Sunni Tehrik and other religious groups and former ISI chief Lt Gen (R) Hamid Gul joined hands to protest against the release of Raymond Davis.
General Hamid Gul, JI naib amir Dr Muhammad Kamal, Awami Muslim League President Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Senator Abdul Ghafoor Haideri and Azam Swati of JUI-F, Maulana Ashraf Ali and other leaders led a big protest demonstration from Idara-e-Taleemul Quran in Raja Bazaar after Friday prayers.
In Lahore, activists of the PTI, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), JI, Jamatud Dawa, Islami Jamiat Talaba and the Insaaf Students Federation staged a combined protest rally against sending Raymond Davis to US without fulfilling the requirements of the law of the land, and vowed to continue protest till the end of the government.
The Sunni Ittehad Council Pakistan (SICP) members held a protest demonstration separately in front of Data Darbar. Also, lawyers observed ‘black day’ on Friday and denounced the acquittal and release of the CIA operative.
The protesters were carrying placards and banners having inscriptions against release of Davis and the government. They were chanting slogans against President Zardari, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani.
Addressing the rally, JI Ameer Syed Munawwar Hasan held the Punjab government responsible for helping Davis flee the country. He said tour of the Sharif brothers to the UK was also part of the agenda. He alleged that Sharif brothers were traitors. He alleged the ISI was hand in glove with the CIA to kill innocent Pakistanis. He said such policies of the army were damaging its image in the eyes of the public.
Jamatud Dawa leader Ameer Hamza, addressing the protesters, said anti-state actors had hijacked the rulers. He said the rulers had been accusing religious people, but when original killer was arrested they themselves helped his release. He urged the religious parties to be united against the government. He said Hussain Haqqani and Rehman Malik should be prosecuted for issuing visas to terrorists like Raymond.
The protesters gathered near Masjid-e-Shuhada from where they started marching towards the Punjab Assembly building. At Faisal Chowk, the speakers delivered speeches. All shops on The Mall remained closed, while traffic remained blocked for about three hours. The Imamia Students Organisation (ISO) also held a big demonstration outside the Lahore Press Club against the release of Davis and ongoing atrocities in Bahrain.
Speaking at a general house meeting of the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA), lawyers strongly flayed politicians, army and secret agencies and accused them of playing a dirty role in the Davis case.
Protests against the release of Raymond Davis also held in Karachi. A number of people gathered outside Baitul Makaram Masjid after Friday prayer and chanted slogans against the release of Davis.
Addressing a protest, JI Deputy Chief Professor Abdul Ghafoor said federal and Punjab governments had committed crime against the nation and the country by releasing Raymond Davis. The JUI-F also held protests at various places in Karachi. Several other parties and organisations also held protests against the release of the CIA contractor.
In Multan, hundreds of people chanted slogans against the United States and Pakistani government, charging their rulers with ‘bartering the national honour for their own luxuries’. In Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan tribal district where recent drone attacks have been concentrated, more than 1,000 tribesmen called for an immediate end to drone strikes and compensation to victims’ families.
