The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) would like to express its grave concern on the events occurred, throughout the country, before and during the May 1st peaceful pro-democracy rally in Karachi called by a coalition of political parties, the Alliance of Democracy (ARD). To prevent this rally, police forces have reportedly carried out, before the event, 4,000 arrests of a large number of people, including political workers.
Furthermore, the day of the rally, several serious violations of the rights to freedom of expression and manifestation have been noticed.
According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), member of the FIDH, a large number of people were stopped from going to Karachi. Thus, some political leaders who went to the Lahore airport on May 1st to board the plane for Karachi were stopped and detained. For example, Nasrullah Khan, ARD leader, and ANP leader Asfandyar Wali, who had reached Karachi a few days before the scheduled rally, were expelled from Sindh and flown back to Lahore. Nasrullah’s home in southern Punjab was raided by the police and the women within, maltreated.
Furthermore, many people were reportedly arrested from their homes, and in certain cases, when the police could not find the wanted persons, their relatives were taken into custody. According to Haroon Ahmed, a member of the executive council of the HRCP, "The detained supporters of the Alliance were brutally tortured and beaten in police custody". Even though most of the arrested were released soon after, many were charged with criminal offences and were allowed out with bail by the courts. However, around 30 people are still awaiting release on bail.
The administration had besieged the entire city, including the Press Club. Then, the police cordoned off the park where the rally was to be held, encased the area in barbed wire and beat away protesters. Elsewhere in the country, such as in Lahore, a women’s workers association was stopped from taking out a procession.
All these repression measures were taken on the basis of the Penal Procedure Code’s Section 144, which allows Districts Magistrates to prohibit assembly of five or more persons if they apprehend breach of peace or any other nuisance, and the general ban of public rallies and demonstrations.
The May Day event is one of numerous cases showing Pakistan’s denial of the right to freedom of assembly and political arrests. In March, hundreds of political activists were imprisoned to prevent them from holding a meeting concerning a rally for Pakistan National Day of March 23rd. On that day, political gatherings have long been a tradition in the country. The Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) had already indicated that the rally planned for this day was to be a peaceful one, representing no threat of any kind to law and order. Moreover, last April in Karachi, around one-hundred protestors were detained for trying to draw attention to the severe water shortage in Sindh. Some of those present were also injured as a result of tear gas, being hit with sticks or dragged into pits.
The International Federation for Human Rights condemns all these practices which are contrary to international treaties and instruments relative to the protection of human rights and fundamental liberties, and urges Pakistanis authorities to immediately and unconditionally release the prisoners still arbitrary detained and to abandon all charges and legal proceedings against them. We ask you to lift all the restrictions of public rallies and demonstrations, which constitute a manifest violation of universally recognised liberties of expression and peaceful assemblies.
The International Federation for Human Rights requests that the Pakistanis authorities ensure the respect of fundamental human rights and freedoms such as liberty of expression, opinion and manifestation, in accordance with the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international and regional human rights instruments.
Hoping you will take these requests into consideration,
Sincerely yours,
Sidiki KABA
President of the FIDH