Siddiqui, a Pakistani scientist, was sentenced on Thursday in New York to 86 years in prison for trying to shoot American soldiers in Afghanistan.
Even as the sentencing was awaited, a protest was held outside the press club and more were expected for Friday.
Students from several educational institutions joined the IJT leaders of Karachi University to register the protest on Sharae Faisal and then towards Hotel Metropole. When the police stopped the men from moving ahead and barricaded their march near Avari Tower, they started pelting the police with stones. In retaliation, the police resorted to baton charge and aerial firing.
As soon as the police used force, the protestors started running in all directions, creating havoc on II Chundrigar Road, near Zainab Market and in front of Mehran hotel. The police followed in hot pursuit.
Student Gul Faraz, an IJT supporter, told The Express Tribune that they had wanted to be “peaceful” but the police used force and the students retaliated. “We were protesting peacefully and wanted to register our protest in front of the US embassy,” he said.
Another protestor, Zulfiqar Arain, said that by using force the police had proven that they too were “imperialists” .
Saddar SP Javed Akber said the police had to use force in order to stop them. According to him, 13 members of the organisation were arrested and FIRs were registered against them at Artillery Maidan police station.
Later on, the supporters of the IJT, Shabab-e-Milli and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf gathered in front of the Karachi Press Club and shouted slogans against the government. They held it responsible for Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s trial in the US.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 25th, 2010.
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