Friday, November 9, 2007
On the 5th Day of protests at the Lahore University of Management Sciences, students organized a peaceful gathering, characterised by motivational speeches by students and a faculty member, as well as rousing poetry to mark Iqbal Day, Allama Iqbal being widely known as the Poet of the East, who was a moving force behind the very idea of Pakistan. This was followed by a protest march across the campus. This march from the sports
auditorium to the cafeteria has become a veritable tradition for these students in the past few days, a symbol of their persisting resistance against accepting the imposition of emergency rule, which many regard as Pakistan’s third martial law. There were further emotive speeches protesting injustice. One of the chief grievances of the students was the repressive behavior of the security forces towards other university students’ who had held demonstrations. Reports of police brutality towards students of FAST and UET were the talk of the campus today. The university was barricaded by riot police on Wednesday and dozens of male and male police officers on Thursday. On Wednesday, officers armed with long batons snooped all over the university premises prior to the rally, perhaps in order to intimidate protesters. Today, though, there was no sign of the police outside the gates, much to the relief of the students, some of whom are beginning to get a positively hedged-in feeling by this time. After all, it has been a long time since most Pakistanis have experienced such a highly repressive environment and this consciousness has been especially increased, after the unprecedentedly free-er hand the media was given by the Musharraf regime until recently. At today’s rally, many students could be seen wielding placards criticizing the ban on free media. It is disheartening to see the freedom of press and journalists so curtailed at this time when practically every individual and household in the country is thirsting for news of ongoing developments in the country. Despite the fact that college was off today due to the national holiday of Iqbal Day, the turnout of students turned out to be higher than expected by most with male students joining the protest straight after Namaz-e Juma’. Faculty was also present, especially the members of the Law faculty who have proved to be the strongest source of support for the students’ initiative. After the march, some more emotive speeches were made, further heartfelt poetry was recited and the latest issue of the publication, The Emergency Times, conveying updates and opinions about events relating to the university students’ movement and wider national political developments, was distributed. A crowd, exhausted by the strain of balancing efforts of protest as well as the intense workload of upcoming exams, finally dispersed on the note that they would gather again very soon to raise their voice against the prevailing state of oppression, and keep gathering until peace and justice in Pakistan was restored. As yet, repeated appeals to the military government by various actors seem to have had little effect on the government in terms of policy, as emerging news warns that security forces are being more brutal than ever in attacking protesters. Not much confidence is being placed in Presidential assurances of the imminent end of emergency rule and fresh elections being just around the corner, raising the question in many people’s mind - where to from here? One thing is for sure, as long as the present situation prevails, the determination of the students to stand up and speak against it will not diminish.
E-mail this article to a friend
Tags: , Emergency, FAST, Iqbal, Lahore, LUMS, protests, Students, UET, university
4 responses so far ↓
1 Global Voices Online » Pakistan: Student Protests update // Nov 10, 2007 at 3:24 am
[…] update on student protests at LUMS in Lahore at Naitazi.com. Share […]
2 SuperWeed » Blog Archive » Eject the State // Nov 10, 2007 at 10:33 pm
[…] Okay, I promise to post about something other than Pakistan later today but look at this lovely photo from Friday’s protest at Lahore University of Management Science. […]
3 Naveed // Jan 21, 2008 at 10:44 am
We as a nation cannot survive if the judiciary of Nov 3, is not restored. We do not accept the dictator and his illegal steps and the puppet judiciary that he has now placed in the superior courts and is happy now.
We want the juduciary revived and not sit idle till the time this geniuine demand is met. This is the question of our future and the future of our children.
We should all be hating the dictator, his policies and his pets like PML Q and MQM. Voting for these people is a crime.
4 D M maharaj // Jul 22, 2009 at 1:22 pm
BRIGHT FUTURE SOCIAL WELFARE ORGNIZATION BADIN
Subject: - Request for Co-operation and project on following topics.
AIMS AND OBJECTS
1. To provide health education to all the needy people in respect to their caste color and religion without any discrimination.
2. To work for the general achievement of socio economic problems on Charitable purpose only. To educate the poor male and female to improve their living standard and to provide basic awareness in agriculture environment, health education. IT computer education, technical and vocational education and arrange Business center for female \ collection point, women struggle rights, sport.
3. To provide facilities on health such as children old age male and female disable Person in society (teen age to about) prosperous and healthy life.
4. To provide medicine pharmacy, medical services on neurology, skin, homeopathic And general (Mobil service)
5. To awareness and help provide health facilities to the patient such as T.B, cancer, sugar patient, reduce malaria by (Spray for killing the mosquito), and Re-habitation of bragger’s.
6. To provide fundamental basic facilities such as electricity health and water Facilities to there populate villages and dais vice in rural area and blach vice In Urban area.
7. To provide ambulance facilities to the big city hospital for filling areas of sindh Up to the admission and fooding.
8. To provide awareness through weekly are fort nightly newspaper and Radio service.
9. To provide agriculture facilitates to the zamidar, former and kashtcar, Fisherman and provide awareness for the plantation of trees on road village and farm to Control the environment and Cultivator, seed, areas up to 1-10 ecrus and Introduce the concord through and new technology experts.
10. To provide and arrange with hole people field with seminar workshop, Conferences and village catchers.
11. To appoint village vice volunteer to record birth and death100% survey and Dais will be trend through basic facilities.
12. To provide opportunities to the artist to introduce their fun through exhibition.
13. Struggle against the violence of child labor.
14. Struggle against the former bounded labor.
15. Struggle against the violence bricks butha labor.
16. All the facilities will be provided on the survey of dehs and Bloch in tuloka, Vice of district Badin vise on the population 200-250 household and modern Village skim will be introduced to the people in the district.
17. To help and coordinate with other social welfare organizations as well as Government departments for general rehabilitation and betterment of all the Needy people.
Your cooperation for donation, assistance, and suggestions will be highly appreciated in this regard
Address
C/o Darshan clinic main coaster stop Badin SINDH
Contact: 0297861850, 03343112793,03333946207
Leave a Comment