Students Raise Fund for Jan10 Blast Victims

1st Feb, Friday - Students belonging to LUMS and the Students Action Committee raised over Rs. 190,000 for the vicitims of the Jan 10 bomb blast outside GPO. Today, the money was delivered to Aftab Sultan, AIG Punjab Police, responsible for Finance and Welfare. The money will now be equally disbursed between the families of the 16 servicemen and 3 civilians who lost their lives at the Jan 10 bomb blast. Students expressed grief over the loss of lives of both policemen and civilians and urged all people to stand together in trouble times. Officers of the Punjab police welcomed this gesture and said that they were deeply moved by it.

Background: In the immediate aftermath of the Jan 10 bomb blast, at the initiative of the student action committee, a Fund was set up to help out victims' families and to express solidarity will all victims.. Around Rs. 194,000 were raised, primarily from the LUMS community. This gesture is particularly meaningful when seen in the light of recent events. LUMS community, which remained at the forefront of civil society's resistance to martial law, has recently been subjected to harassment by the state, ranging from unlawful arrest of LUMS professors, siege of the campus on Nov 7, heavy police presence at the LUMS gate throughout November and lodging of a false FIR against LUMS professors and the President of its Student Council.

Despite all this, LUMS students and faculty member chose to express solidarity and sympathy with the deceased, mostly policemen, and to condemn illegal violence

The students reiterated that while they vehemently criticise acts of state oppression (like the assault on the judiciary, besieging their campus and lodging false FIRs), they harbour no enmity against ordinary people compelled to follow orders by their need to earn a living. Also, they condemn all illegal acts of violence against citizens and ask that, in these troubled times, people stand together.

[Courtesy: The Emergency Times]

SAC Lahore members harassed and beaten up

In two separate incidents of brutality, typical of the oppressive nature of the regime and its partisan brute components, a member and an advisers of the Students Action Committee were harassed and beaten up.

Outside the Punjab University New Campus mosque, students Rafi ullah Awan, Yasir Abdul Haleem, M Azhar Imran were peacefully distributing flyers and posters about the 3rd February protest.

Members of the Jamiat, and Islami Jamiat Tulba, IJT, recognizable by their badges, descended upon the three students, by force snatched the flyers, posters and ripped them apart. When Rafi ullah Awan produced more flyers, the members of the Jamiat grabbed the three students, took them aside and started pushing them around, while threatening them if they didn't stop distributing the harmless flyers and posters.

Out of the Jamiat, only Mr. Wajid from Sheikh Zaid Islamic Centre, PU could be identified by the SAC (LAHORE) students.

In a separate incident outside Punjab College no 6, SAC's (Lahore) seasoned advisers; two activists were distributing 3rd February protest flyers and posters when a Punjab College guard stopped them.

The male activist objected: he stated they were on a public footpath not the college's property.

The guard adopted a brutal attitude and slapped him around. The female activist who tried intervening was pushed by the guard. Upon the crowd's intervention, the guard backed off.

The SAC representatives came on the scene and accompanied the activists to the Muslim Town police station where they were delayed for over an hour after being informed that the situation was not 'grave' enough for an FIR.

SAC (LAHORE) will pursue registering the case otherwise will take serious action.

These incidents are grave indicators that regardless of hollow promises by the current establishment, there are no civil liberties and our fundamental rights are still in strict abeyance.

If our government was of the people, from the people and for the people, innocent students and peaceful activists would not be harassed by the hired and protected thugs of the regime. It is time the state is purged of corrupt elements that deprive us of the freedom of expression and association.

[Courtesy: The Emergency Times]

Stooges of Musharraf very well treated by the son of Aitzaz in US

Aitzaz Ahsan's Son (Ali Ahsan) treated the stooges of Musharraf quiet well perticularly Kashmala Tariq. (Remember that Musharraf sent a delegation consisting three stooges to USA to disinform the public and the officials, you can read the complete detail of their false propaganda and the rebuttle )