The Public Affairs Committee (PAC) has said the arrest of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) officials and others should not be a source of violence as has been witnessed in the past two days.
In a press statement issued on Thursday, PAC has called on Malawians to allow the due process of the law to take its course instead of opting for violent activities.
The statement, signed by acting chairperson Sheikh Imran Shareef Mahommed, says the committee holds the view that supporters of the DPP may give moral support to their leadership, but this should not be translated into violent acts.
The statement reads: “We wish to make an appeal to authorities that these arrests should not be turned into political arrests by failure to observe rights of those in custody.
“PAC believes that the right to fair trial in the current arrests as outlined in Section 42 of the Republican Constitution should be respected.”
The organisation says said the due process of the law must be followed adequately, and any political manipulation should be avoided at all costs.
The DPP supporters, following the arrest of the party’s acting president Peter Mutharika and others, reacted violently by holding demonstrations and damaging private and government property in Blantyre and Lilongwe cities.
