Students pull out all stops to join long march
March 16, 2009
LAHORE
HUNDREDS of students from various educational institutions of the provincial metropolis joined the Long March in various parts of the city on Sunday.
Defying section 144 and risking arrests, they showed up to express solidarity with lawyers, civil society representatives and activists of political parties who have been demanding restoration of deposed judges and an independent judiciary.
Activists of the Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT) gathered outside Jamat-e-Islami (JI) Lytton Road office from where they marched towards GPO Chowk near the Lahore High Court while activists of the Muslim Students Federation (MSF) assembled outside the residence of former premier and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif in Model Town and joined the long march.
Other students under the banner of the Students Action Committee (SAC), a consortium of students from various colleges and universities, including the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), the Punjab University (PU), FAST-National University, Superior College and FC College University (FCCU) etc took also part in the GPO Chowk procession.
The activists of Insaaf Students Federation (ISF), student wing of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf, showed up at the GPO Chowk to become a part of the Long March and raise voice for the restoration of judiciary.
Students chanted slogans in favour of the deposed judges and demanded immediate restoration of the deposed judiciary.
A large number of students from Islamia College Civil Lines and PU Old Campus joined the main procession led by Nawaz Sharif when it reached near PU Old Campus.
Like many parts of the city, police contingent were deployed outside PU hostels at New Campus to foil students’ bid to join the long march.
“The massive tear gassing by police at GPO caused great troubles but we remained committed to the cause of independent judiciary in the country,” said Zeeshan, a member of the SAC.
He said police impounded two buses which were arranged by the SAC for students to join long march for Islamabad. He said students reached the GPO Chowk in private cars.
Another student, Ahmed, said students really got charged when they came to know that PML-N Quaid was leading the long march from Lahore to Islamabad. He said students themselves raised funds to make arrangements for long march.
Rehan Tariq, a student belonging to Islami Jamiat Talaba, said they were all ready for Islamabad to stage a historic sit-in for restoration of deposed judges and independent judiciary in the country. He said students from various colleges and universities of the country would join the sit-in at the Constitutional Avenue, Islamabad.
HUNDREDS of students from various educational institutions of the provincial metropolis joined the Long March in various parts of the city on Sunday.
Defying section 144 and risking arrests, they showed up to express solidarity with lawyers, civil society representatives and activists of political parties who have been demanding restoration of deposed judges and an independent judiciary.
Activists of the Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT) gathered outside Jamat-e-Islami (JI) Lytton Road office from where they marched towards GPO Chowk near the Lahore High Court while activists of the Muslim Students Federation (MSF) assembled outside the residence of former premier and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif in Model Town and joined the long march.
Other students under the banner of the Students Action Committee (SAC), a consortium of students from various colleges and universities, including the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), the Punjab University (PU), FAST-National University, Superior College and FC College University (FCCU) etc took also part in the GPO Chowk procession.
The activists of Insaaf Students Federation (ISF), student wing of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf, showed up at the GPO Chowk to become a part of the Long March and raise voice for the restoration of judiciary.
Students chanted slogans in favour of the deposed judges and demanded immediate restoration of the deposed judiciary.
A large number of students from Islamia College Civil Lines and PU Old Campus joined the main procession led by Nawaz Sharif when it reached near PU Old Campus.
Like many parts of the city, police contingent were deployed outside PU hostels at New Campus to foil students’ bid to join the long march.
“The massive tear gassing by police at GPO caused great troubles but we remained committed to the cause of independent judiciary in the country,” said Zeeshan, a member of the SAC.
He said police impounded two buses which were arranged by the SAC for students to join long march for Islamabad. He said students reached the GPO Chowk in private cars.
Another student, Ahmed, said students really got charged when they came to know that PML-N Quaid was leading the long march from Lahore to Islamabad. He said students themselves raised funds to make arrangements for long march.
Rehan Tariq, a student belonging to Islami Jamiat Talaba, said they were all ready for Islamabad to stage a historic sit-in for restoration of deposed judges and independent judiciary in the country. He said students from various colleges and universities of the country would join the sit-in at the Constitutional Avenue, Islamabad.
