Islamabad: Kashmiri Lawyers Detained During Peaceful Protest
Islamabad saw tense scenes on Thursday as dozens of Kashmiri lawyers, along with members of the Islamabad Bar Association (IBA), were detained during a protest outside the National Press Club.
The arrests, which included women, occurred despite the Bar Association’s prior request to police for security arrangements to ensure a peaceful demonstration.
In a letter to the Station House Officer of Police Station Kohsar, IBA President Chaudhary Naeem Ali Gujjar had formally sought permission and cooperation for the protest. The letter explained that members from Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK) were protesting in solidarity with the Public Action Committee of PoJK, advocating for the rights and aspirations of the region’s people.
The IBA assured authorities that the demonstration would be “peaceful and lawful” and conducted with “the utmost respect for public order and the rights of non-participants.”
However, instead of facilitating the protest, police detained many lawyers, reportedly placing them inside vans. Videos and firsthand accounts from those inside showed frustration and allegations of harassment. “We are political workers, not criminals. Even our women have been arrested,” one lawyer said.
Another remarked, “The Prime Minister himself says every citizen has the right to protest. Why, then, are we beaten and arrested for raising our voices?” Lawyers also drew attention to a perceived double standard, contrasting Islamabad’s suppression of dissent with 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,” one said bitterly.
Protesters further highlighted the worsening situation in PoJK, accusing authorities 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,” a lawyer noted, linking the unrest to long-standing grievances.
