Saving face: Kausar denies involvement in baton charging Bara protesters
Following the statement, lawyers asked the former governor to leave the bar room.
It was the provincial government which ordered the police to forcefully disperse the protesters, says Kausar. PHOTO: PPI
PESHAWAR:
Former governor Barrister Masood Kausar has denied any involvement in using baton charge against people protesting against the killing of 18 people in Bara, Khyber Agency.
Kausar, who was the governor at the time, said it was the provincial government which ordered the police to forcefully disperse the protesters.
While addressing lawyers in the Peshawar High Court (PHC) bar room, Kausar said the Governor Secretariat took immediate notice of the issue and action was taken against all officials involved.
However, lawyers refused to accept his innocence. Members of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas Lawyers’ Forum (FLF) chanted slogans against him and said the former governor could not deny his involvement. Some lawyers asked the former governor to immediately leave the room, but others intervened to put an end to the dispute.
Eighteen people, including two children were allegedly killed by security forces on January 15. Around 5,000 people from tribal areas staged a sit-in on Sher Shah Suri Road alongside bodies of their loved ones, refusing to bury the dead and demanding justice. On the second day of the protest, police baton charged and fired tear gas to end the sit-in in order to clear the roads leading to the Governor House. Seventeen people were arrested and later released.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 5th, 2013.
Former governor Barrister Masood Kausar has denied any involvement in using baton charge against people protesting against the killing of 18 people in Bara, Khyber Agency.
Kausar, who was the governor at the time, said it was the provincial government which ordered the police to forcefully disperse the protesters.
While addressing lawyers in the Peshawar High Court (PHC) bar room, Kausar said the Governor Secretariat took immediate notice of the issue and action was taken against all officials involved.
However, lawyers refused to accept his innocence. Members of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas Lawyers’ Forum (FLF) chanted slogans against him and said the former governor could not deny his involvement. Some lawyers asked the former governor to immediately leave the room, but others intervened to put an end to the dispute.
Eighteen people, including two children were allegedly killed by security forces on January 15. Around 5,000 people from tribal areas staged a sit-in on Sher Shah Suri Road alongside bodies of their loved ones, refusing to bury the dead and demanding justice. On the second day of the protest, police baton charged and fired tear gas to end the sit-in in order to clear the roads leading to the Governor House. Seventeen people were arrested and later released.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 5th, 2013.