Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ISLAMABAD1234
2007-03-16 12:29:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Islamabad
Cable title:
VIOLENCE ERUPTS AT DEMONSTRATIONS OVER CHIEF
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C O N F I D E N T I A L ISLAMABAD 001234
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
FROM AMBASSADOR CROCKER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/2017
TAGS: AF PK PNAT PREF PREL
SUBJECT: VIOLENCE ERUPTS AT DEMONSTRATIONS OVER CHIEF
JUSTICE CONTROVERSY
Classified By: Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L ISLAMABAD 001234
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
FROM AMBASSADOR CROCKER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/2017
TAGS: AF PK PNAT PREF PREL
SUBJECT: VIOLENCE ERUPTS AT DEMONSTRATIONS OVER CHIEF
JUSTICE CONTROVERSY
Classified By: Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) Fighting broke out between the police and
demonstrators in front of Pakistan's Supreme Court the
afternoon of March 16, the second day of the Supreme Judicial
Council's proceeding against Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad
Chaudhry. Demonstrations in other cities around Pakistan
were tense but less violent than the widely-telecast
confrontations in Islamabad. (Note: Unofficial estimates of
crowd size were less than a thousand total in various
locations in Islamabad; about 1,200 in Peshawar; about 1,000
in Karachi; and less than 1,000 in Lahore. End Note.) RSO
Islamabad reports that demonstrators in Islamabad
self-segregated, with representatives of religious parties
forming one group, lawyers another, and civil society and
mainline political groups another. Television reports showed
demonstrators near the Supreme Court throwing rocks at
police, who responded by firing tear gas into crowds of
several hundred protesters. Television stations carried
footage of protesters beating a police officer and throwing
rocks. (Note: According to RSO, only the religious parties
attacked the police. End Note.) Press reports indicate that
at least two journalists were injured in the disturbances. A
PPP contact called the Embassy from the protests and said
that the PPP was present to show solidarity with the Chief
Justice, not to harass the police or to mingle with the
religious parties.
2. (U) Late in the afternoon, police stormed the Islamabad
office of GEO television. The Lahore office of GEO continued
to broadcast while lead reporter Hamid Mir, in Islamabad,
described police beating employees and breaking equipment.
Shortly after Mir went off the air, Minister of Information
Durrani issued a public statement saying the police had had
no right to enter the newsroom.
3. (C) Police took great pains to keep protests small.
Roadblocks around the perimeter of Islamabad and every few
miles after that turned back almost anyone who might be a
protester. Police arrested or restricted the movements of
lawyers and political opposition leaders overnight and
throughout the day. In Lahore, police arrested hundreds of
attorneys and placed Jamaati Islami leader Liaqat Baloch and
PPP-P leader Qasim Zia under house arrest. After the Lahore
protests turned out to be relatively calm, police released
the lawyers. In Islamabad, police arrested MMA leaders Qazi
Hussain Ahmed and Hafiz Hussain Ahmed as they marched towards
the Supreme Court after Friday prayers. PPP reported that
police arrested several PPP members at the site of Islamabad
protests. PML-N reported that 17 of their leaders were under
arrest.
4. (SBU) RSOs throughout Pakistan reported that no official
Americans were injured in the protests. We have received no
information of any Americans injured in the demonstrations.
We are aware of no demonstrations scheduled for the weekend.
5. (C) Comment: By Islamabad standards, these
demonstrations have been small and relatively non-violent.
This is especially true when compared to February 2006
demonstrations associated with the Danish cartoon
controversy. Thus far, the mainline opposition parties have
taken pains not to be seen cooperating with the religious
parties in the protests. Indeed, the Chief Justice
controversy has not galvanized the opposition into a unified
entity nor has it captured widespread support. We shall
continue to monitor this situation and report as appropriate.
End Comment
CROCKER
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
FROM AMBASSADOR CROCKER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/2017
TAGS: AF PK PNAT PREF PREL
SUBJECT: VIOLENCE ERUPTS AT DEMONSTRATIONS OVER CHIEF
JUSTICE CONTROVERSY
Classified By: Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) Fighting broke out between the police and
demonstrators in front of Pakistan's Supreme Court the
afternoon of March 16, the second day of the Supreme Judicial
Council's proceeding against Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad
Chaudhry. Demonstrations in other cities around Pakistan
were tense but less violent than the widely-telecast
confrontations in Islamabad. (Note: Unofficial estimates of
crowd size were less than a thousand total in various
locations in Islamabad; about 1,200 in Peshawar; about 1,000
in Karachi; and less than 1,000 in Lahore. End Note.) RSO
Islamabad reports that demonstrators in Islamabad
self-segregated, with representatives of religious parties
forming one group, lawyers another, and civil society and
mainline political groups another. Television reports showed
demonstrators near the Supreme Court throwing rocks at
police, who responded by firing tear gas into crowds of
several hundred protesters. Television stations carried
footage of protesters beating a police officer and throwing
rocks. (Note: According to RSO, only the religious parties
attacked the police. End Note.) Press reports indicate that
at least two journalists were injured in the disturbances. A
PPP contact called the Embassy from the protests and said
that the PPP was present to show solidarity with the Chief
Justice, not to harass the police or to mingle with the
religious parties.
2. (U) Late in the afternoon, police stormed the Islamabad
office of GEO television. The Lahore office of GEO continued
to broadcast while lead reporter Hamid Mir, in Islamabad,
described police beating employees and breaking equipment.
Shortly after Mir went off the air, Minister of Information
Durrani issued a public statement saying the police had had
no right to enter the newsroom.
3. (C) Police took great pains to keep protests small.
Roadblocks around the perimeter of Islamabad and every few
miles after that turned back almost anyone who might be a
protester. Police arrested or restricted the movements of
lawyers and political opposition leaders overnight and
throughout the day. In Lahore, police arrested hundreds of
attorneys and placed Jamaati Islami leader Liaqat Baloch and
PPP-P leader Qasim Zia under house arrest. After the Lahore
protests turned out to be relatively calm, police released
the lawyers. In Islamabad, police arrested MMA leaders Qazi
Hussain Ahmed and Hafiz Hussain Ahmed as they marched towards
the Supreme Court after Friday prayers. PPP reported that
police arrested several PPP members at the site of Islamabad
protests. PML-N reported that 17 of their leaders were under
arrest.
4. (SBU) RSOs throughout Pakistan reported that no official
Americans were injured in the protests. We have received no
information of any Americans injured in the demonstrations.
We are aware of no demonstrations scheduled for the weekend.
5. (C) Comment: By Islamabad standards, these
demonstrations have been small and relatively non-violent.
This is especially true when compared to February 2006
demonstrations associated with the Danish cartoon
controversy. Thus far, the mainline opposition parties have
taken pains not to be seen cooperating with the religious
parties in the protests. Indeed, the Chief Justice
controversy has not galvanized the opposition into a unified
entity nor has it captured widespread support. We shall
continue to monitor this situation and report as appropriate.
End Comment
CROCKER