Women police officers arresting Amna Janjua during the protest of the relatives of the missing persons at Jinnah Avenue, near D-Chowk in Islambad on April 28, 2014. PHOTO: INP
ISLAMABAD: Eight men and four women were arrested and another dozen injured when 50 to 60 individuals attempted to register their protest outside Parliament House on Monday, Express News reported.
On the orders of Prime Minister, the Islamabad Police later released the protesters.
Earlier, a scuffle broke out between the police and protesters when the latter, mostly family members and relatives of missing persons, attempted to approach Parliament House.
Amina Masood Janjua, who was leading the protest, was among the arrested.
Several protesters and police personnel suffered injuries, while Jinnah Avenue was closed for traffic. More than 20 tear gas shells were fired by Islamabad Police to control the crowd.
Two hundred elite force personnel of Punjab Police were also called in for reinforcement.
Media personnel were also injured when elite force personnel reportedly prevented them from covering the incident.
Later on Monday, PM Nawaz Sharif said that he disapproved of the police torture on the protesters and directed action against certain police personnel according to a tweet by Radio Pakistan.
The Premier further said that peaceful protest is the democratic of every citizen.
PM Nawaz Sharif says peaceful protest is democratic right of citizens
— Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) April 28, 2014
Taking notice of the incident, the Interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has suspended ASP City and ASP secretariat.
Deputy Commissioner Islamabad has also been asked to conduct inquiry into the atrocities committed by the police.
COMMENTS (13)
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Amna Janjua and Fozia Siddiqi, both of them crying justice for the terrorist activities of their relatives and blind Pakistanis sympathizing with them,
Why is in Pakistan, human suffering and tragedy is always subordinate to such noble expressions as "defamation", "honor", "national interest" etc?
I am reminded here of a Thomas Paine quote "“The greatest tyrannies are always perpetrated in the name of the noblest causes.” Looking at the pictures, I don't doubt it!
This is the problem with PAKISTANI system.........Mr./Mrs/Ms PM is a superman and PM can order release or capture of anyone.......In civilized world,especially Democracies, it is law enforcement agencies prerogative to assess situation, capture an individual, courts decide whether release or detention of arrested individual..........If arrest is wrong than strict action is taken against the law enforcer.......
No doubt PAKISTAN is sinking in Gutter.
Govt solidarity with army. Do not worry, we will make the whole country Baluchistan
Why now? These people have been protesting for a long time, so baton charges, pulling their hair, dragging and arresting them today? Highly suspicious. Wonder who these people were protesting against? The people who made their family members and loved ones 'disappear'? In the current situation as parties flex their muscle it might have dawned on the Islamabad authorities that they didn't want to be among 'disappeared' as well.
There is nothing like missing persons. They are terrorists in hiding. Their women are accomplices. Police Girls did a good job by disciplining them. Well done Girls. This was your first action and you did well. I support you because I hate criminals.
Missing persons case is a scam. Most of them are living in exile. They fire at the security forces and when they retaliate they cry foul. Even pro-Pakistan Baloch who are killed by separatists are blamed on the security forces.
What a shame!
A heart rendering story of hapless people who are denied justice and can only protest but are beaten by the police. One fearless and brave journalist who was projecting their case by bringing out the truth was asked to shut up but when he refused to do so, was targeted by those who were responsible for abductions and killings. Some media groups due to rivalry and to remain in the good books of state agencies are shamefully indulging in the smear campaign against their sister group, forgetting they could be their next target as well as doing a great injustice to the victims. A worst chapter of yellow journalism in Pakistan's history.
Strange how arresting women and children asking about their fathers, husbands, and brothers does not besmirch the honor of paramount state institutions, but mere articles and memos do.
Dawn reports that police tried to confiscate camera's etc .. and that says everything. Don't the Pakistani people have a right to peaceful protest? You don't see anyone confiscating camera's or arresting people when they come out to support blasphemy laws.
We all know what happens next when the "missing persons" issue is raised. My heart goes out to these helpless women. They will never get a fair hearing here. They are wasting their time.
Further defamation of ISI cannot be tolerated.