An Anti Terrorist Court in Lahore acquitted all 11 of us on the charges of terrorism. There were 10 Brik Kiln workers from Pakistan Bhatta Mazdoor Union, one from Muslim League Nawaz and myself who were charged on 27 September under false allegations of attacking a police convey.
It was alleged that a procession under my leadership came from McLeod Road to join the demonstration of advocates on 27 September 2007. When the police told them that under section 144, no more than five people can get together and stopped, they got heated and attacked the police. The demonstrators from Labour Party Pakistan and they injured some police officers and torn their uniforms.
That was a total lie; the fact was that over 200 activists from Labour Party Pakistan joined hand with advocate on day in a demonstration. After the demonstration, I was arrested on my way back to my home. I had earlier gone into hiding for few days. The police had come to my home to arrest me but I avoided the arrest. The police wanted to arrest me and other LPP activists to stop our participation in the demonstrations. Police also arrested 11 brick kiln workers union members and leaders who are members of Labour Party Pakistan as well. They were also returning to their office when they were apprehended. The Musalim League Nawaz leader was arrested from a different area.
We only came to know during the evening that we have been charged with 7 ATA. The maximum sentence is death. Police fabricated a story about us. We were sent to Lahore Camp jail after day at a police lock up.
We were released in few days on bail and some of the best advocates of Pakistan represented us voluntarily including Asma Jehanghir, the chairperson of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.
While I was in Amsterdam airport on 6 March 2008, I got a call from Pakistan that I must go to the Anti Terrorist Court on 7 March. Police had come to LPP office with a warrant to arrest me, because I was unable to attend one hearing at the court. I went to the court straight from the Lahore airport.
From 7 March till 28 March 2008, we were in the court for 6 times. The brick kiln workers had to come from far off places, they were not from Lahore. Three of them had to travel overnight. But we all made to the court in time, right at 8am.
The police brought four eyewitnesses during the proceeding, all from the police department. All of them took oath on Quran that they will speak the truth and all of them lied in the court. We were all surprised that how easy for the police officers to tell lie even after they take an oath. While I asked the two of them after the hearing of the case, why are you telling lies in the court that we have attacked you, they told directly, we know that we are lying but we had to do the job.
On the last day of the hearing, the station house officer of police (SHO) appeared in the court. Our advocate Rabia Bajwa exposed his lies quite clearly. During the three hours hearing on the last day, Rabia told the court that it is political case, that Farooq have thirty years of history of political activism and has never been charged of terrorism. All of them have participated in the demonstration of the advocates. They are all proud of it. However, they were arrested at the time of going back and not that they confronted the police using violence. She presented several new papers cutting to prove her arguments.
The judge Muqarab Khan was known as a loyalist to the regime, so our advocate was quite worries. I was sure that we will be acquitted. I told our advocate on the day while we were waiting for the final decision of the court “It will be good if he announce any punishment for us. At least in this political atmosphere this will not be accepted by any political party and it will help to develop the movement”. But the judge denied us of this opportunity and declared that all of us are found not guilty and can go home.
I am still waiting other few cases to come up in the courts, if the new government does not withdraw them. The new government of PPP has declared that it will review all the cases registered against the political activists and advocates.
Farooq Tariq
spokesperson
Labour Party Pakistan
40-Abbot Road Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: 92 42 6315162 Fax: 92 42 6271149 Mobile: 92 300 8411945
labour_party yahoo.com www.laborpakistan.org www.jeddojuhd.com