Strike three!

Punjab University, Jumma time.

Members of the Students Action Committee created history.

They took a beating. They could have hit back, but they set a new precedent for non-violent protest in Lahore: they took it on the chin - or rather all over their bodies - as a gang of fifteen or twenty members of the Islami Jamiat-e-Tulaba pushed them around, threw them to the ground and treated them to an unrestrained volley of punches and kicks. One of them, Sajjal, was badly injured, while Amir Jalal and Haroon Riaz came through with fewer injuries.

In conversation with Amir Jalal a while back, he told me that they took a deliberate, collective decision not to respond to aggression with violence and that they felt satisfied that they were able to maintain their resolve in the face of extreme provocation.

But why were they so enraged? What heinous crime, what outrageous blasphemy had the members of SAC committed?

Nothing apart from informing the students leaving the mosque about Black Flag Week (now six days old) being commemorated by the lawyers' community and the thousands of conscientious, courageous , unarmed citizens who have fought tooth and nail for a whole year for the restoration of the independent judiciary. But what exactly were they doing? Were they heckling passers-by? Were they chanting insulting slogans? Hardly - merely handing out informative flyers and stickers ("Restore independent judiciary", etc.)

All FASTRising members salute the bravery of these three pioneers who have rekindled the spirit of non-violent resistance in Lahore after a long gap of around 25 years. We resolve to stand by our brothers in their struggle and call on all members of the FAST-NU family - students, faculty and alumni - to join the Students Action Committee in the protest planned for 4 PM tomorrow (Saturday, 14^th March) at the Lahore Press Club.

This is now the third event of unprovoked aggression on the part of the IJT since the imposition of Emergency Rule. The first was when they treacherously kidnapped Imran Khan, a political leader of national stature and head of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf, when he joined students demonstrating against Emergency Rule. The second was when two SAC members were roughed up by the IJT on the 1st of February.

In baseball at least, you're out on the third strike.

Aftermath:
The PU SAC members have submitted a written complaint to the administration of Punjab University. The Vice-Chancellor has promised the PU SAC members that he will deal with their aggressors in an exemplary matter. Let us all pray and hope that he fulfills his promise. Surely he should realise that the entire student body, faculty and staff - except for a minority of Jamiat members who hold key strategic positions in the administration - would support the imposition of the most stringent penalties on these self-styled "dons".