Pakistan's democracy exposed: lawyers jailed for peaceful protest

Islamabad [Pakistan], October 2 : Islamabad witnessed dramatic scenes on Thursday as dozens of Kashmiri lawyers and members of the Islamabad Bar Association (IBA) were detained during a protest staged in front of the National Press Club.

The arrests, which included women, came despite the Bar Association's formal request to police authorities for security arrangements to ensure a peaceful demonstration.

In a letter addressed to the Station House Officer of Police Station Kohsar, IBA President Chaudhary Naeem Ali Gujjar had clearly sought permission and cooperation for the protest.

The letter stated that members of the Association belonging to Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK) were organising the protest in solidarity with the Public Action Committee of PoJK, advocating the rights and aspirations of the people of the region.

The IBA assured the authorities that the protest would be "peaceful and lawful," conducted with "the utmost respect for public order and the rights of non-participants."

Instead of facilitating the demonstration, police forces detained the lawyers, many of whom were locked inside vans. Videos and accounts from inside the vans revealed deep frustration, with lawyers alleging harassment and humiliation. "We are political workers, not criminals. Even our women have been arrested," one lawyer said.

Another added, "The Prime Minister himself says every citizen has the right to protest. Then why are we being beaten and arrested for raising our voices?" The detained lawyers drew a sharp comparison between Islamabad's suppression of dissent and its vocal support for protests in PoJK. "You encourage protests in PoJK, but when we protest here in the capital, you unleash batons and arrests," a lawyer remarked bitterly.

Protesters also highlighted the worsening situation in PoJK, accusing the state of violence and intimidation against local communities. "This is the first time in history that Kashmiris have taken up arms against those who claim to govern them," one lawyer noted, linking the unrest to long-standing grievances.

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