Dr. Yasmin Rashid Letter on Concerns Regarding Political Protests and Human Rights Violations
March 27, 2025
Subject:Concerns Regarding Political Protests and Human Rights Violations
People’s Party Sind staged a wide protest against the canal project yesterday. What a farce, they must be joking. Who are they trying to fool, the people of Sind? Everybody in Sind knows that the project was approved by Zardari. Bilawal Bhutto was defending cooperative farming a few days back. Now that the people of Sind have started protesting, they suddenly realized that what little political space they were left with will soon be lost and People’s Party would finish in Sind. So to counter this, they started giving statements and organizing protests.
Zardari Sahib, you have been exposed. You can fool the people some of the time, but you can’t fool them all the time. Everyone knows that the father-son duo has sold Sind down the river.
I was wondering, where was Section 144 during the People’s Party protest? Why were they not harassed, baton-charged, tear-gassed, and dragged on the road? Is Section 144 selective? Is it only for the opposition, only for Tehreek-e-Insaf and other parties, particularly BYC? Security reasons are cited for their arrest. Samee Din Baloch, who was protesting for Mahrang Baloch, was arrested. And when released by the magistrate, she was detained again under the MPO. Her crime was a violation of Section 144. Such violations of human rights occur in a province governed by the PPP, a party that once nourished democracy by sacrificing their leaders, but is now a puppet in the hands of the establishment.
Another province ruled by them, Balochistan, is not only burning but also bleeding. Harassment, coercion, and tear-gassing have become the norm when people protest for their rights. The concept of Chaddar and Char Devari is nonexistent. Three people were killed in a peaceful protest. The youngest protester killed was 12 years old. Is this the Pakistan that our forefathers strived for?
In Punjab, Tehreek-e-Insaf is meted out the same treatment whenever the party tries to hold a peaceful protest. Even the March 23rd rallies were postponed. Human rights are violated every day while poor governance prevails. The Chief Minister is particularly targeting the health sector—she probably has some personal vendetta or is unsuccessfully trying to counter the good performance of Tehreek-e-Insaf in the health sector.
I must say that Mr. Zahid Hussain’s article in Daily Dawn should be read by every Pakistani. His analysis of the prevailing situation is remarkable. Pakistan has become a predator state. He quoted James K. Galbraith, who says, “A predator state is a political system in which a narrow band of elites use policy instruments for their own benefits while the rest of the population foots the bill.” In the end, he states, “A predatory state neither represents the interest of the people nor works for their welfare.”
The fire which is burning all of Pakistan can still be quenched. Let sanity prevail. Let the Constitution of Pakistan rule the country without its draconian amendments like PECA and the 26th Amendment. Free the judiciary so that the people get justice. Let’s strive for Haqeeqi Azaadi. Let the people of Pakistan breathe. Let Pakistan heal.
Pakistan Zindabad.
Dr. Yasmin Rashid