K & P

Furious protests rock Peshawar

Political parties, religious groups and student organisations protest against Raymond Davis' release.

Express March 18, 2011

PESHAWAR:

Political parties, religious groups and student organisations staged demonstrations at various venues of Peshawar on Thursday to protest against the release of CIA contractor Raymond Davis.

The bulk of the protestors were members of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan People’s Party-Sherpao (PPP-S) and student wings of Pakistan Muslim League-Q, Shabab-e-Milli, and Islami Jamiat Talba (IJT).

Police resorted to baton-charging and tear gassing protestors at University of Peshawar campus, arresting at-least eight students. However, they were freed later in the evening. The students had planned to march to Peshawar Press Club.

JI arranged a rally in the evening that began at Hashtnagri Chowk and ended at Ashraf Road, where party leaders addressed the participants. The rally was led by the party’s senior leaders Sirajul Haq, Shabbir Ahmed Khan and Professor Ibrahim Khan. Haq opined in his speech that the masses would not tolerate the government’s handling of the issue and would revolt against them. He lambasted Nawaz Sharif and President Asif Zardari for “jointly betraying the nation.”

Members of the party’s student wing (IJT) also held a rally from Hashtnagri to Findus Chowk, where they burned tyres and blockaded the Grand Trunk Road, causing inconvenience to travelers.

IJT’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Nazim of Abd-ush-Shakoor and Campus Nazim Sohaibuddin led the protesting students. “It is a shame for the rulers and us that America got her citizen released by force,” they said in their addresses.

Condemning the release of Davis, PTI provincial secretary Farman claimed that the slain’s family members “had been compelled to pardon the killer by accepting blood money (Diyat).” He said that the rulers had humiliated the country by releasing Davis and alleged that the American “was not only involved in the assassination of two Pakistanis but also in other subversive activities.”

Students of Kohat University also staged a protest in Kohat. FATA Students Federation expressed their anger over Davis’ release.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 18^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (7)

Karim Khan | 13 years ago | Reply Students are led by politicians and student leaders are paid for such activities. In Peshawar University, student leaders get special rooms, usually illegally, in hostels in order to further the political agenda of the supporting political groups. Hence, protests by students don't count as protests. Mostly they are just times off class and receiving shelter and future support of political parties against the exploitative administration of the universities.

ershad ali | 13 years ago | Reply I am so amazed... when taliban were carrying out their terrorist activities ie blasts, kidnapping, beheading etc etc... nobody protested... now those who were responsible for the deaths of too many pakistanis are killed then why these protests. Pakistan has no writ in fata... we cant kill them thats what we use to tell the US. and when they come and strike... you are protesting dont kill our killers...

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sammy | 13 years ago | Reply we need to seperate state and religion because our politicians are always twisting religion to their advantage

MUHAMMAD HARIS | 13 years ago | Reply ON BEhalf of Reymond i am very angry and feeling shame too that our leaders had done a great job by releasing reymond devis and said that this all is done by the victoms families coz they wana forgive remond bt let me clear one thing to my Great ASIF ALI ZARDARI AND NAWAZ SHARIF that see wat the difference b/w u and americans u freed devis and on the very next day they kill 42 innocent ppl at datta khel waziristan.bt allah is watching all this and u have to be answer for all this on judgement day..and we the youth of pakistan are now awaked and inshallah soon a change will come and after that you will not get time to correct ur mistakes..and inshallah soon it will happen INSHALLAH...i as a PAKISTANI AND PATHAN millions of time condems the drone attack at datta khel and my preyars are with PAKISTAN AND MY Waziristani BRother..

Pakistani | 13 years ago | Reply I hope this issue is also not only raised internationally, but also our stupid diyat laws be abolished and we adopt unconditional capital punishment in Pakistan.

Pakistani | 13 years ago | Reply I hope this issue is also not raised internationally, but also our stupid diyat laws be abolished and we adopt unconditional capital punishment in Pakistan.

QuranVsHadith | 13 years ago | Reply Why so glum? We all know Pakistan is for sale….to ANY bidder. It is the reality of this country…..if you have the money you can get away with ANYTHING. Stop burrying your heads in the sand. We all know how pervasive the corruption is…..when a man can sell his mother for Rps 30,000 why are you so suprised and appalled over the blood money that was paid and that they took it? Moreover, it is all in accordance with the Quran. There is nothng wrong with it according to ALLAH! These men are dead….there is no way to bring them back. If you had Davis’s head on a platter would that make you feel better???? Or is it better that these families will be financially secure for the rest of their lives? Take a look in the mirror and re- evaluate your priorities. Would Pakistanis take on the financial burden of these families to have Davis dead instead? You have no right to criticize Allah’s laws and the fact that the families chose to accept Diyat. Vengence in Fleeting…..the families will be set for life now. Calls for Davis’ blood are selfish and brutal when Allah has provided a much better solution. Who are we to question Allah’s laws????? However the selling of your daughters and mothers is NOT….but where are you all when those stories are published???? Hmmmm? .

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