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LAHORE, Jan 3: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has condemned the extension in detention of Supreme Court Bar Association President Aitzaz Ahsan and called for his release. It also called for the release of detained judges, lawyers and civil society activists.
Condemning the extension in Ahsan’s detention for another month in a statement issued here on Thursday, HRCP Chairwoman Asma Jahangir and Secretary-General Iqbal Haider said since nothing criminal had been attributed to the lawyer well known for his advocacy for human rights, the continued denial of his right to liberty would universally be held contrary to law and convention. “It also smacked of vindictiveness of the most reprehensible brand, something utterly unbecoming of any modern authority.”
They said the establishment was attracting a similar indictment by refusing to allow Justice Tariq Mahmud (retired), another prisoner of conscience, to get prescribed treatment.
The HRCP said the country had been brought to a pass where it needed “the counsel of all its worthy citizens, among whom the worthy detained judges and lawyers occupy pre-eminent positions”. All of them must be freed so that they can join the effort to pull the nation out of the present crisis, they said.
LPP: The Labour Party, Pakistan, has demanded arrest of the elements involved in recent unlawful detention of the daughter of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Chairperson Asma Jehangir and her colleagues in Lahore a few days back.
Party spokesman Farooq Tariq said in a statement that the PML-Q was involved in the arrests because of the undue support of police which still continued to treat them as the ruling party despite the expiry of their tenure in office.
The PML-Q leaders not only enjoyed police protection but were also maintaining armed guards for terrorizing the people.
He said the government should provide adequate protection to mediapersons so that they could discharge their professional duties without any political elements.
