May 07, 2007	Monday	Rabi-us-Sani 19, 1428

ISLAMABAD, May 6: Chairperson Pakistan Peoples Party and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto has condemned the baton charge and throwing of petrol bombs on lawyers’ procession in Sahiwal on Friday.

She pointed out that lawyers in Sahiwal had taken out a peaceful torch-lit procession against the suspension of the Chief Justice.

The police, under the administrative control of the chaudhries of Lal Masjid resorted to criminal behaviour. With a view to cause grievous bodily harm to the peaceful protesters, they threw petrol on the torches, which sent flames shooting into the air, resulting in serious burn injuries to the participants.

Those seriously injured included the elected president of the Sahiwal District Bar Association.

In a statement on Saturday, Ms Bhutto said she was shocked at the deterioration in institutions where, for political purposes, elements of the police force were serving as the private servants of the Punjab administration.

She said that in the twenty-first century it was important for the civil servants, judicial, law enforcement, educational and military officers to make a distinction between the lawful commands and commands that were aimed at trampling the law.

Ms Bhutto called for filing of a criminal case against those police personnel who acted illegally in throwing petrol at the protesters to cause them bodily harm.

Ms Bhutto said that unless the Chief Justice was reinstated, the political situation in the country would continue to deteriorate.

PRESS FREEDOM: Ms Bhutto has deplored the action against private television channels, which were running commentaries on Chief Justice Ifthikar Mohammad Chaudhry’s tour of the Punjab.

In a statement on Sunday, the former prime minister said the people had come out to show their love for democracy and justice. The people wanted to see the rule of law strengthened and the judiciary made independent.

She called upon the regime to respect the freedom of the press and said actions against the press would undermine the image of the country, which no patriotic person would want.—Our Reporter