APMA leaders injured & incarcerated under Anti-terrorism Act

Written by: Jawad Mazhar (ROD)

Lahore, Pakistan, Nov 14th (ROD): Police arrested 24 APMA workers, several sustained
severe wounds and two APMA leaders Naveed Amir Jeeva and Sadiq Masih Gill sent to
Central jail Kot Lakhpat Lahore under Anti-Terrorism Act in a bid to protest against
imposed emergency in the country, here at Lahore Pakistan, on November 13th.

Talking to ROD via telephone from an unknown place, Shahbaz Bhatti, APMA’s
Chairman said that police arrested him along with 100 APMA workers when they started
protesting against the State of Emergency, suspension of human rights, curbing the media
and detaining the lawyers, political & human rights activist, as PPP and APMA had called
on to protest on Nov 13th by Long March from Lahore to Islamabad. Bhatti added that
police released him after interrogating for 5 hours.

Fiery Shahbaz Bhatti said that Police brandished truncheons on a very peaceful
procession leaving several APMA workers severely injured. Bhatti added that one of his
leading party workers zonal director of Multan and member of provincial assembly
Naveed Amir Jeeva received fatal injuries to his left eye and head.

APMA’s chief organizer of Punjab, Khalid Gill apprized ROD that government has
inflicted state-terrorism on peaceful APMA workers by wielding batons in a barbarian
way. He also said that police has arrested 24 APMA workers and registered a fake case
against them under Article 290/148, 147/188, 16 MPO and 7 ATA of Pakistan Penal Code
at Factory Area Police Station Lahore Cantt with first information report (FIR) No.
2114/2007 nominating Naveed Amir Jeeva and Sadiq Masih Gill as leading protesters
against the emergency. Gill told ROD that rampant police stormed the peaceful
procession and took them heavy handed leaving behind Naveed Amir Jeeva severely
wounded. Later doctors at a private clinic dressed Seven Stitches to the head cut of
APMA worker Jeeva. Gill also said that more than 35 APMA workers are mentioned as
fugitives in the FIR. Khalid Gill said that police has registered engineered cases against
APMA workers at Nishtar, Naseer Abad, Kahina and Defense Police Stations. He said
that police has even detained some female workers of APMA.

Tahir Naveed Chaudhary, APMA’s Zonal Chief of Sargodha condemned such attacks on
peaceful citizens. He said that government must provide leveled grounds to all the
political parties, he declared it to be an obvious injustice that ruling party is allowed to
hold meetings and take out rallies, where as opposition parties are being baton charged
and detained for the same.

APMA Chairman Shahbaz Bhatti and other leading workers including Khalid Gill, Tahir
Naveed Chaudhary, Farrukh Tanveer Chughtai, Ms Marry Romeelo, Rubina Tasneem
(Member District assembly Sargodha), Saleem Khursheed Khokhar and Samuel Nazir
Sindhu condemned the State of Emergency. They called on the International Community
to press the President Musharraf to lift emergency from the country, restore basic human
rights, democracy and constitution, release all the political workers, human rights
activists, lawyers and media men, lift restrictions from the media and arrange for free and
fair polls in the country.

Chief of Rays of Development Organization (ROD) Ferhan Mazher talking to ROD said
that emergency is deteriorating the political scenario and damaging the Pakistan’s image
among the nations. He appealed to the President to lift emergency and release all
humanitarian and political activists and conduct transparent, free and fair elections to
restore the constitution and democracy in Pakistan.