[fse-esf] Pakistani authorities target civil rights activist

[Alex Callinicos]

Pakistani authorities target civil rights activist

A mark of how little has changed in Pakistan since February's election
rebuffed US-backed dictator Pervez Musharraf is the savage beating of
democracy activist Riaz Ahmed by armed police last week.

The Pakistani Rangers-the paramilitary force responsible for "internal
security"-assaulted Dr Ahmed, a leading member of the International
Socialists group, on Monday 1 April while he attempted to leave his
university campus.

He was so badly beaten that he had to be rushed to hospital.

During the soldiers' assault it became clear that Dr Ahmed was being
deliberately targeted. Subsequently a spokesperson for the Rangers told the
Dawn newspaper that they believed Dr Ahmed to be "well known for his
political ambitions".

Now, rather than bring the soldiers and their commanding officer before a
court, Rangers have demanded that Dr Ahmed be arrested for assault. It is
common for those who are wanted by this force to face torture, and even to
disappear.

Following release from hospital Dr Ahmed addressed a packed meeting of the
Karachi university teachers society which passed a unanimous motion in his
support and demanded that university authorities seek to remove the Rangers
from the campus.

Students put up banners in solidarity with Dr Ahmed and joined teachers who
boycotted their classes for the day in protest at the attack.

The university authorities have so far refused to act on the teachers'
demands.

Anger at the attack has spread this week to universities through out the
Sindh province and to lawyers, journalists and civil society activists. The
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has also issued a strongly worded
condemnation of the Rangers' actions.

Dr Ahmed has urged democracy activists in Pakistan to step up their
campaigning, and asked for international solidarity.

He called on trade unionists, academics and civil society activists to send
messages of protest to the governor of Sindh province and to the vice
chancellor of Karachi university.

Email messages of protest at police brutality to governor Ishrat Ul Ebad
Khan  <mailto:governor at governorsindh.gov.pk> governor at governorsindh.gov.pk
and messages demanding action to remove the Rangers from the university
campus to vice chancellor Pirzada Qasim  <mailto:vc at uok.edu.pk>
vc at uok.edu.pk

Send email messages of support to
<mailto:internationalsocialistpakistan at yahoo.com>
internationalsocialistpakistan at yahoo.com

 

 

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