Pakistani Doctors suffer brutal ‘strike breaking’ tactics by the state

July 13, 2012 Libcom.org

The Punjabi state government renege on promises made to striking Doctors
and then launch a brutal wave of reprisals in order to break the strike.

Hundreds of young Doctors are currently in the third week of a strike in
Pakistan. The current strike is latest in a long line of strike action
that has taken place over the last year.

The Doctors are striking for improved pay, reduced workloads, and career
progression issues.

Contrary to what is portrayed in the media, they are still undertaking
‘emergency’ work.

The striking Doctors had been in negotiations with the Punjabi state
government. However, the state government have now reneged on their
promise to look at the Doctors concerns.

In an effort to break the strike, they have drafted in Doctors from the
armed forces, who are now undertaking all the strikers work.

In other strike breaking tactics, the state government has instructed the
police to get the Doctors back to work. In the last week, several hostels
where the strikers live have been raided and ransacked, many Doctors have
been attacked and arrested, and several have reported that their phones
have been tapped.

It is reported in the Lancet that:
Quote:

“The government is using police to force us to come to hospital
without responding to our demands, many of my colleagues are in jail,
three of them are in [the] Intensive Care Unit, one is even on the
ventilator.” Photographs seen by The Lancet taken by several sources
showed plaster casts on the limbs of some of the strikers and clear
cut abrasion marks on the backs of others. Female doctors on strike
were also seen being beaten by male police officers in these images."

Many of the strike organisers are now being kept in inhuman conditions in
Jail, being prevented from sleeping, and are being transferred to new
jails on a near daily basis, in an attempt to break their resolve.

The government are also spreading lies and propaganda about the strikes
via the state media.

Solidarity with the striking Doctors!

Police disperses rally for Dr Aafia in Karachi

Feb. 10, 2012 DAWN.COM |Agencies

Policewomen escort Dr Fouzia Siddiqui after her arrest during Pasban protest rally for the release of Dr Aafia Siddiqui at Abdullah Haroon road in Karachi on Friday. – Photo by PPI

KARACHI: Police on Friday baton-charged and used water cannons to disperse a protest rally of Pasban that intended to march towards the US Consulate in Karachi to raise the issue of detention of Dr Aafia Siddiqui.

About a dozen protest leaders including sister of the detained Pakistani Dr Fouzia Siddiqui were arrested.

Police applied baton-charge and lobbed teargas shells to the rally besides firing shots in air at Abdullah Haroon Road in Saddar area.

Police took into custody Pasban president Altaf Shakoor and Dr Siddiqui along with a dozen other Pasban activists for attempting to enter the “red zone” of the metropolis.

Pasban had announced to besiege the US consulate in protest to highlight the plights of Dr Aafia, presently languishing in a US jail.

The protestors had earlier gathered at Masjid-e-Khizra at 3.30pm, next to Sindh High Court, carrying placards and banners inscribed with anti-US sentiments and chanting slogans against the government for dealing the matter with hands-off approach.

A Pasban spokesman expressed strong resentment over arrest of their leaders and demanded of the police to immediately release them.

He said their rally was completely peaceful. However, police deliberately developed a chaotic situation after opening aerial firing and using water cannon.

He said Pasban workers were extremely agitated on brutal use of force by the police, warning if the arrested leaders were not released the administration would be responsible for law and order situation.

In a latest development, the arrested leaders, including Dr Fauzia, were released by the authorities.

US Court to hear Aafia's lawyers appeal against sentence

February 10, 2012 By APP International Harald Tribune

Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist, was sentenced to 86 years in prison by the Federal District Court in New York City. PHOTO: REUTERS

NEW YORK: A three judge panel of the US Court of Appeals is set to hear an appeal by Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s lawyers, against her September 2010 conviction on charges for attempting to kill American intelligence officers in Afghanistan in 2008.

On February 9, her counsel, Dawn Cardi, will present her argument before the panel to overturn the judgement against her client, while the prosecution will seek dismissal of the appeal.

Dr Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist, was sentenced to 86 years in prison by the Federal District Court in New York City, while she has consistently denied the charges levelled against her, pleading her innocence.

On April 2011, her lawyers had filed an appeal. Her court-appointed lawyer Cardi says the ‘multifaceted’ appeal will challenge the “court’s decision, the several legal issues with the trial, the introduction of evidence as well as how Siddiqui was allowed to testify given what we believe was her diminished capacity.”

However less than a month after the sentencing, Siddiqui fired her lawyers and waived her right to an appeal. Siddiqui wrote that she had fired her five lawyers and would be represented by Farha Ahmed, a Texas-based attorney.

Cardi had said that she had been in touch with Siddiqui’s family through a representative. When asked if they were supportive of the appeal, she said, “I don’t know nor do I care. It is my responsibility and I am obligated to file an appeal.”

Recently, there were reports that Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Sherry Rehman met with Tina Foster, Dr Siddiqui’s lawyer from International Justice Network.

Foster had apprised the ambassador of her client’s situation and discussed with her various options to ease Aafia’s conditions of incarceration, and in the long term, her repatriation to Pakistan.

Arrested in July 2008 in Ghazni, Afghanistan, on allegations of being an al Qaeda operative and facilitator, Siddiqui was flown to New York where she was kept in a high security prison.

The neuroscientist’s case, who is a graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Brandeis University, has garnered global attention, particularly Pakistan, where protests demanding her release and repatriation to the country are held regularly by political and religious parties.

Human Rights groups have also conducted campaigns demanding her release or a lenient sentence.

Dr Fowzia Siddiqui’s open letter to President Zardari

By Dr Fowzia Siddiqui - Feb 9th, 2012

February 8, 2012

Mr.Asif Ali Zardari,

President,

Islamic republic of Pakistan,

Re: Aafia’s Upcoming Appeal Process, the Role of Your Government, and Broken promises.

Dear Sir,

This Friday, February 10, 2012, the world will be watching as court-appointed attorneys (who are paid by the US government, and Aafia has repeatedly attempted to fire) – will argue before a US Court of Appeals and purport to represent my sister’s interests against her will. This mockery of justice is simply yet another example of how Aafia’s conviction of a crime she did not commit is virtually guaranteed in the US “justice” system. Meanwhile, US agents who have perpetrated crimes against her – including kidnapping, torture, assault, and false imprisonment, have not been called to account.

It has now been three and a half years since agents of the US government shot my sister and the beginning of the 10^th year since she was abducted – a Pakistani citizen – abducted from Pakistan through a rendition operation locked up in Afghanistan, and forcibly removed from Afghanistan after an implausible shoot out, and illegally transferred her to the United States.

So-called “high-profile” American criminal defense attorneys convinced the government of Pakistan to pay them millions of dollars – and then refused to resign when Aafia did not accept them. Neither did the Pakistani Government intervene. There can no longer be any doubt that Aafia will never receive justice in the US legal system.

I want to remind you today of the promises that you made, your Prime Minister made, Interior Ministry made and Foreign Ministry made. The promises that said Aafia will be back. Raymond Davis and several other mercenaries have walked free from our land, but innocent citizens are languishing due to the negligence and criminal silence of your administration.

Now, more than ever, the fate of this Daughter of the Nation lies in the hands of the Pakistani government to bring her home. We can only but request and protest, How you respond to our plea’s will be your legacy and will define our nation, let it be of Pride not Shame.

Dr. Fowzia Siddiqui