ISLAMABAD: Awami Workers Party (AWP) on Thursday held a protest demonstration against misuse of the anti-terrorism law to contain peaceful political rallies in the country.

The participants of the protest demanded that political leaders, including Baba Jan and Ghulam Dastageer of the AWP who have been implicated in terrorism cases, should be released from jail.

Baba Jan and other residents of Hunza tried to mobilise local communities for the rehabilitation of people affected by the Attabad artificial lake. During a violent protest, a terrorism case was registered against Baba Jan and others and an anti-terrorism court in the Gilgit city recently sentenced them to life terms.

Addressing the protest at Aabpara Chowk here, AWP information secretary Nisar Shah said the government and security agencies were openly using the anti-terrorism act against peaceful protests across the country.

“Political leaders such as AWP vice-president Baba Jan from Gilgit-Baltistan have been sentenced to life imprisonment just for raising their voice for the rights of the working class and the disaster-affected people.”

He said AWP federal committee member Ghulam Dastageer was imprisoned for helping tenants facing eviction by landlords in Derah Saigol near Lahore. In both the cases, peaceful working class activists were targeted by the state for raising voice for their rights, he added.

AWP Punjab president Aasim Sajjad Akhtar said the terrorism law was enacted keeping in view the security situation in the country but now it was being used against political workers.

“On the other hand, terrorists and sectarian militants are still carrying out their activities without any fear,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, United Kashmir People’s National Party vice-president Naila Khaneen said the state was not ready to tolerate dissenting opinions.

“Progressive and nationalists across the country should unite to get democratic rights of the people,” she said.

General secretary National Students Federation (NSF) Alia Amir Ali said progressive forces should resist the illegal steps of the state. Talking to Dawn, Ms Alia said though Gilgit-Baltistan was not a constitutional province of Pakistan, the anti-terrorism act was being implemented there, which was not acceptable.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2014