Artists, members of non-governmental organisations and students of various art institutions staged a protest in front of the Lahore Press Club to condemn the beating up of the female curator of Nairang Art Gallery by the area SHO on Aug 2.
Friends of Nairang Art Gallery, including artists, members of NGOs and Human Rights Commission of Pakistan participated in the protest.
Veteran artist De Ejaz Anwar told the media the protest was organised to show solidarity with artists. He said they demanded of the government to suspend the SHO.
It may be mentioned here that Adviser to Prime Minister on Human Rights Mustafa Khokar had demanded of the Punjab IG to get a case registered against the SHO. He also sought a report on the incident in three days but even after a lapse of two weeks report was not submitted.
Prominent on the occasion were former NCA principal Naazish Aataullah, senior journalist Husain Naqi, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Secretary General I A Rehman, Principal College of Art and Design, University of Punjab, Rahat Naveed Masood, Dr Zafar Umar and a number of others.
The protest was staged in Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi simultaneously.
Reports said a police party led by the Shadman SHO raided the art gallery on Aug 2 and beat up a woman curator there, accusing her of spreading `immorality’ at the gallery. The management of the gallery said the policeman had no warrants.