May 15, 2007	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 27, 1428

LAHORE, May 14: A large number of charged lawyers, political and rights activists rallied on The Mall in sweltering heat to protest against Saturday’s killings in Karachi, demanding registration of murder cases against President Gen Pervez Musharraf and MQM leader Altaf Husain.

Visible among the protesters were hundreds of people from the general public, who wanted to register their protest against the killing of innocent people. Their presence was bigger than previous rallies.

“I am here just to mourn the deaths,” said Nisar Sheikh. “It has happened to people in Karachi, it can happen to us tomorrow. Everybody knows who is behind the killings, and everybody knows nothing will be done to take the culprits to task.”

At one point, when hundreds of lawyers and activists pushed through the barricades the police had erected to deny them access beyond Faisal Chowk, a law and order situation was averted. It was mainly because the police did not react at all. Had the police reacted, it would have been an entirely different scene, said an eyewitness.

“We would not react until the protesters pose any threat to life and property,” said Operations police chief Aftab Cheema, adding that the police were out there to guard the general public. Thousands of riot police had been deployed en route the rally and around the buildings of the Lahore High Court and Awan-i-Adl since early morning besides other parts of the city in view of the opposition parties’ strike call over the killings.

The protesters after offering funeral prayers in abstentia at Faisal Chowk (for those killed in Karachi) pushed through the barricades and began marching towards the Governor’s House. The police encircled the protesters who, on reaching the Governor’s House, chanted slogans against President Gen Pervez Musharraf and MQM chief Altaf Husain.

Some representatives of the lawyers’ bodies and local leadership of political parties reached the place and convinced the charged protesters return to Faisal Chowk. The protesters staged a sit-in there, and returned to Faisal Chowk reluctantly.

Political activists in the rally belonged to the PPP, PML-N, MMA, students wing of Jamaat-i-Islami besides members of the Women Action Forum and other NGOs and rights activists and members of Labour Party Pakistan, Khaksar Tehrik, Tehrik-i-Istaqlal and All Pakistan Minorities Alliance. There were only a few PTI workers.

Leaders of the parties, who joined the rally, included Jahangir Badar, Chaudhry Ghulab Abbas and Azizur Rehman Chan of the PPP, Saad Rafiq of the PML-N, Liaqat Baloluch, Ameerul Azeem, Farid Paracha and Hafiz Salman Butt of the MMA.

Throughout the rally, the protesters chanted: “Lathi Goli Ki Sarkar Nahi Chaley Gi, Nahi Chaley Gi, “Justice ki Azadi Tak Jang Rahi Gi, Jang Rahey Gi.” Some of the protesters carrying portraits of Justice Chaudhry also chanted slogans in his favour.

The political parties which gathered at Nasir Bagh joined a lawyers’ rally led by Lahore bar president, which had been taken out from Awan-i-Adal. Another rally taken out from the Lahore High Court with its bar’s president Ahsan Bhoon in command welcomed the earlier rally at GPO Chowk.

From here, they marched up to the Faisal Chowk in front of the Punjab Assembly building.

At some places, the political workers attempted to lead the rally, which was strongly discouraged by the lawyers’ leaders, and at least at one point they had to literally push back some PPP activists.

Addressing the protesters, Lahore High Court Bar President Ahsan Bhoon demanded registration of a murder case against Gen Musharraf for the murder of additional registrar of the Supreme Court, Hammad Raza, terming it as state terrorism. He also demanded another case registration against Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad, Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim, General Parvez Musharraf and MQM chief Altaf Hussain for killing people of Karachi.