Chowrangi

Political intolerance has become rampant in Pakistan today. Despite of back to back suo moto notices of Supreme Court, and in spite of the protests raised by all quarters of society, police is still terrorizing the political workers of opposition.

On 12th October of this year, when the handful of PML-N protesters tried to do a peaceful demonstration in provincial capital of Punjab, Lahore, police once again entertained them with batons, tear gas and abuses. Media pictures show that how police man-handled women protesters. They dragged them from hairs, abused them, kicked them and then threw them into the police vans and took away. All the protesters were arrested after getting brutally and blindly spanked hard by the police.

PML-N’s workers and leaders tied up black sashes on their arms, and were raising slogans against the present regime, when Police stormed them. It is reported that when Noshad Hameed, the political secretary of Shahbaz Sharif, and Salma Butt, who is the head of women wing of PML-N reached in front of Punjab assembly, police attacked them. Ladies procession was mainly comprised of old-aged ladies, who were harmless than cotton buds. After police applied batons upon those ladies, they cried and sat there on the road and kept on raising slogans. Police then called them dirty names, kicked them and dragged them on the roads, as shown in newspaper photos.

President Musharraf in his recent interview to Kamran Khan of GEO said that he didn’t mind at all the protests by the political parties, and he thought it the part of political process and it’s a sign of true democracy. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said in a recent interview to ARYONEWORLD that he feels it very proud when he watches the liberty opposition enjoys in Pakistan. Honey Swamp, minister of Information Muhammad Ali Durrani never gets tired of praising his regime’s policies in this regard.

But actions speak louder than the words, and actions are quite bitter and different from the words uttered by the high shots of government.

Other posts by Commoner

• Rare Chink in FATA - August 28th, 2008
• Presidential Campaigns Pick Momentum - August 28th, 2008
• Just Brought About Change - August 27th, 2008
• Speck of Hope - August 27th, 2008
• Daggers Drawn - August 27th, 2008
• More Load Shedding - August 27th, 2008
• Whose Writ is This - August 26th, 2008
• So They Parted - August 26th, 2008
• New Alignments - August 24th, 2008
• Vindicated Operartion in Swat - August 24th, 2008