ISLAMABAD: The right to protest for their due rights is an inherent freedom enjoyed by all citizens in a democratic set up, but police in the federal capital are looking to clamp down on all protests, even ones that do not cause damage to public property.

On Thursday, police registered an FIR in response to a protest involving 25 to 30 people at Islamabad Chowk, near Golra Mor.

According to the FIR, a protester who addressed the group had drawn attention to the dilapidated state of roads in sectors G-13 and G-14, as well as the lack of proper systems for drinking water, sewerage and street lights in the area.

The FIR stated that the protesters blocked Kashmir Highway, stopping vehicles from entering Islamabad.

The case against the protestors was registered in response to a complaint by Assistant Sub-Inspector Turabul Hassan, under Section 341 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which deals with the punishment for wrongful restraint.

A senior police official, however, admitted that blocking a road during a protest was a minor matter, and it was normally the responsibility of local and traffic police to facilitate both motorists and protesters. “It is a right of the people to be able to stage a peaceful protest,” he said. The official added that it was not common for Islamabad police to register a case over a peaceful protest.

Zohra Yusuf of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said that protests by vulnerable groups or people calling for their rights were often met with violence, while violent protests by religious groups were permitted. “Freedom to protest is a democratic right, as long as they do not infringe on the rights of others,” she maintained.

Golra Station House Officer Chaudhry Mohammad Aslam admitted that the protest was a peaceful one, adding that the protesters were asked to vacate the road and protest by the roadside, but they refused.

When asked about policies or SOPs regarding peaceful protests, a spokesperson for the Islamabad inspector general said a case was registered against the protesters because they had blocked the road.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2016

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