Pakistan Views

The Supreme Court on Wednesday recalled its order of October 1, 2007 to suspend senior officials of Islamabad administration for using force against journalists, lawyers and members of civil society on September 29 before the Election Commission building.

It may be recalled that chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry had taken suo motu notice of happenings of September 29 - the day ECP scrutinised nomination papers of the Presidential candidates. The court had found Islamabad Inspector General of Police Marwat Ali Shah, Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Ali and SSP Nadeem responsible for excessive use of force and ordered their suspension.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar heard the appeal of these officers here on Wednesday. Attorney General Malik Muhammad Qayyum submitted that if the departmental inquiry against a suspended government official was not completed within two months, the suspension order becomes ineffective.

He said that no departmental inquiry had been conducted against these officers during the past three months and the fact-finding committee had also not given its findings. Qayyum said that the government wanted to reinstate these officials but due to the court orders it could not do so.

The court recalled its order of October 1, 2007 and referred the matter of suspension to the department concerned to settle the issue. Deputy Attorney General Nahida Mahboob Elahi, Mujeeb-ur-Rehman, advocate, counsel for the suspended police officials also appeared before the court.

Journalists arrested in Pakistan 
 
A journalist recovers after the confrontation with police
More than 100 journalists protesting against media restrictions and emergency rule have been arrested in Pakistan, eyewitnesses say.
Most were held in Karachi and several detained in Hyderabad.

Police baton-charged the Karachi journalists after they tried to stage a protest march. Some of them were hurt.

When President Pervez Musharraf imposed emergency rule on 3 November, radio and TV news was banned, as was criticism of the government.

Country-wide

Heavy contingents of police were deployed on roads to the Karachi Press Club to stop the rally there.

Police stopped the marchers going to a TV station

It was part of a country-wide protest organised by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) against the media curbs.

The journalists were planning to hold a demonstration outside the Karachi offices of the ARY TV channel, one of half a dozen news channels that cable operators stopped airing after the emergency was imposed.

The BBC’s M Ilyas Khan in Karachi says police beat up a number of journalists in front of the press club entrance.

The arrests came shortly after the government said it released some 3,400 people jailed under emergency rule.

The release of political opponents has been a key demand of opposition parties who are threatening to boycott parliamentary elections in January.