Senate passes bill imposing 3 to 10 year jail term for unauthorized protests | Barrister Aqeel's Analysis
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Senate passes bill imposing 3 to 10 year jail term for unauthorized protests | Barrister Aqeel's Analysis
Senate passes bill imposing 3 to 10 year jail term for unauthorized protests | Barrister Aqeel's Analysis
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00:00Irfan Siddiqui, I have been talking about the law for the past 2-3 days
00:05and the reason is that the politicians are after their own space.
00:09Yesterday, Maulana Sahib said that there is no need for politicians,
00:12no need for senior politicians, no need for parliament.
00:15What is the need for parliament today?
00:17There is no need for it.
00:18But you will create such laws.
00:20The branch that you are sitting on,
00:22the branch that you are trying to cut,
00:24these laws will come to the opposition tomorrow.
00:26They will say that we have to protest.
00:27You can put it in Punjab.
00:28The Punjab Assembly will pass it.
00:29If you protest without asking, it will take 3 years or 10 years.
00:32Then where in Pakistan is there a right to protest?
00:34And why isn't there a right to protest in Islamabad?
00:36Sir, there is no doubt in this.
00:38And I think even Ambassador Aqeel has said this,
00:40that this makes no sense.
00:42If Pakistan's law gives you the right to assembly...
00:44I didn't say that.
00:46Okay, the point has been made.
00:47You want to say this, but you don't want to say that.
00:49We are listening to the voice of their heart.
00:51Look, if Pakistan's law gives you the right to assembly,
00:55gives you freedom of expression,
00:57then this is a very basic thing.
00:59To say that in Islamabad...
01:01Okay, why?
01:02The rest of Pakistan has permission.
01:03Why in Islamabad?
01:04What is there in Islamabad?
01:05If I have a grudge against a loyal government,
01:07where will I protest?
01:09We will do it in loyalty.
01:10And it has to be done in loyalty.
01:11Why?
01:12Because the decision has to be made in loyalty.
01:13It has to be made in Dar-ul-Hukumat and Dar-ul-Hilafah.
01:15So, if anyone is protesting within the framework of the law,
01:19this is the beauty of democracy.
01:20This is what democracy is all about.
01:22Now, if you say,
01:23who will be imprisoned for 3 years?
01:25Who will be imprisoned for 10 years?
01:27The minister will tell you better
01:29how many articles of the constitution have to be written.
01:31But this doesn't make sense ethically or logically.
01:33I think it's a balancing act.
01:35It's a balancing act.
01:36In this country, these articles of the constitution
01:38don't matter anymore.
01:39There are so many articles of the constitution.
01:40But it's unfortunate.
01:41We still have to talk about the articles of the constitution.
01:44We still have to fight for that space.
01:46And that is the space...
01:48Look, I don't have any interest.
01:49I don't want to protest.
01:50I'm fighting for your space.
01:51No, you can also protest.
01:52It's not like that.
01:53Yes, absolutely.
01:54And in the past, you kept protesting.
01:55It's not like that.
01:56You can do it.
01:57I take back my words.
01:58I take back my words.
01:59Even I have to do it.
02:00You're absolutely right.
02:01This means that your salary is coming in full right now.
02:05Pray that it comes in full.
02:06I hope it comes in full.
02:09Is there a debate in the party
02:10that this is not right?
02:11I can't imagine that without asking
02:13and without permission,
02:14Mr. Arfaan Siddiqui would have done this.
02:16Look, Mr. Iqbal,
02:17I told you that
02:18it's like a balancing act.
02:20And this balancing act
02:22has both rights.
02:23It's a right to peaceful assembly.
02:24What's the balance?
02:25No, no, no.
02:26This is your balance these days.
02:27Mr. Bharat, tell me,
02:28what kind of balance is this?
02:29This is not your balance.
02:30This is your balance.
02:31I want to take what Aqeel is saying at face value.
02:39Tell me, how is this a balancing act?
02:41How can you justify this?
02:43Without permission,
02:44haven't you seen that
02:45after coming to Islamabad,
02:46without permission,
02:47all the people,
02:48be it the merchants,
02:49or the utility workers,
02:50or the Jamaat-e-Islami,
02:51all of them have come.
02:52Then you guys are complaining
02:53that they didn't take any permission.
02:55Okay, I agree,
02:56but should they be given
02:57three years for this?
02:58Look,
02:59there has to be
03:00a criminal element in it.
03:01And if you do it again,
03:02you'll get 10 years.
03:03If you do it again,
03:04you'll get 10 years.
03:05You'll be in jail for life.
03:06There has to be a criminal element.
03:07And three years
03:08doesn't mean that
03:09you'll only get three years.
03:10You are talking about
03:11punishing a political worker
03:12for using his political right.
03:14Look,
03:16I'm not saying that
03:17this won't happen even in North Korea.
03:18I'm not saying that.
03:19I'm saying that
03:20there is a balancing act.
03:21Even if it happens,
03:22it will be done
03:23within 24 hours.
03:24Even if it happens,
03:25if it is introduced
03:26and passed by the committee
03:27in the Senate,
03:28if you look at it,
03:29there is a mechanism
03:30provided in it.
03:31The district magistrate
03:32has the powers.
03:33He will do it.
03:34There is an appeal process
03:35for it as well.
03:36The chief commissioner
03:37will go to him
03:38and appeal that
03:39the district magistrate
03:40doesn't give permission
03:41and on such conditions,
03:42he has to fulfill it.
03:43So, this is already in place.
03:44It is just being
03:45regularized.
03:46This law is already in place
03:47that you can't hold a meeting
03:48without the permission
03:49of the NOC.
03:50It is in place,
03:51but if there is an improvement
03:52in that,
03:53then I think…
03:54How is there an improvement?
03:55A criminal element
03:56is being introduced.
03:57You are punishing
03:58for 30 years and 10 years.
03:59A criminal element
04:00is being introduced.
04:01This is the law
04:02and you are doing the right thing.
04:03There should be a law
04:04to allocate
04:05space and arrangements.
04:06Don't bother the people.
04:07They come here
04:08and sit in Faizabad.
04:09Neither the people of Islamabad
04:10can come here
04:11nor the people of Pindi
04:12can come to Islamabad.
04:13Sir, we also
04:14prescribe this.
04:15We tell you to give
04:16a parade ground,
04:17some other place.
04:18But this should be done
04:19by the law.
04:20Sir, we don't object
04:21to the law.
04:22Make a law,
04:23but put it in the law
04:24that you will
04:25imprison him
04:26for 3 years
04:27and for 10 years
04:28on the other side.
04:29This is a threat.
04:30Today, Ali Zafar
04:31said in his speech
04:32that this is against
04:33justice because
04:34in the next few days…
04:35Sir, I don't know
04:36if he has seen
04:37any other person
04:38protesting.
04:39This is what
04:40I see.
04:41After some time,
04:42Allah forbid,
04:43but we also
04:44could be on the
04:45receiving end
04:46if we are
04:47in opposition.
04:48Not to be on the
04:49receiving end,
04:50ask me in government.
04:51This is what I am saying.
04:52God forbid,
04:53you don't know me.
04:54There is no
04:55other political party.
04:56Kashif, I am not
04:57talking about political
04:58parties that
04:59they are designed
05:00for PTI,
05:01they will be
05:02in our place
05:03tomorrow,
05:04we will be
05:05in their place.
05:06All these things
05:07are fine.
05:08I am saying
05:09a very basic thing
05:10that it is
05:11not right
05:12for me to
05:13protest.
05:14This is
05:15absolutely
05:16right.
05:17I have
05:18seen in
05:19Britain,
05:20when people
05:21are angry
05:22with the
05:23state,
05:24they break
05:25their lines
05:26and go to
05:27areas where
05:28they are
05:29not allowed.
05:30Have you seen
05:31what happened
05:32in Britain?
05:33No, no,
05:34riots are
05:35something else.
05:36It is not
05:37about riots.
05:38Water cannons
05:39are used,
05:40you can
05:41see them
05:42in the streets.
05:43There
05:44is no
05:45need to
05:46protest
05:47as a
05:48political
05:49party.
05:50Let us
05:51move on.
05:52I hope
05:53common sense
05:54prevails.
05:55I hope
05:56common sense
05:57prevails.
05:58I hope
05:59common sense
06:00prevails.
06:01This is
06:02not the
06:03hill you
06:04want to
06:05die on.
06:06You
06:07cannot
06:08justify