Karachi [Pakistan], October 25, : In response to a call from the Sindh Bar Council and the Karachi Bar Association (KBA), members of the legal community staged a boycott of legal proceedings at the City Courts and District Court Malir on Thursday.
This action was prompted by an attack on lawyers who were protesting police inaction following the torture of one of their colleagues.
The lawyers blocked all entrances to the City Courts, preventing litigants and judicial officials from entering the complex. As a result, under-trial prisoners were not brought in for their hearings, according to The News International.
During a general body meeting of the KBA, led by General Secretary Ikhtiar Ali Channa and presided over by President Amir Nawaz Warraich, the incident involving Advocate Abdul Fatah, which occurred on October 23, was discussed.
It was noted that KBA members had rushed to the Mahmoodabad police station after the event, where SHO Aijaz Khattak reportedly colluded with the accused and disrespected the lawyers.
The KBA stated that when lawyers gathered for a peaceful protest on Korangi Road near NMC Hospital, they were assaulted by 'gunda elements' wielding stones and batons, allegedly with police oversight. Several motorcycles belonging to the protesters were set on fire, and many lawyers, including Sindh Bar Council member Iqbal Inayat Jatoi, sustained injuries.
In the meeting, the KBA passed a resolution asserting that SSP East Dr Farrukh Raza intentionally demonstrated bias by directing the Mahmoodabad SHO not to file an FIR regarding the lawyers' complaints. The resolution argued that this action harmed the reputation of the KBA's esteemed members.
The report further stated the KBA claimed that the attack on lawyers was premeditated and coordinated with police officers, who threatened the organization's officials with severe repercussions if the protest continued.
The resolution further urged departmental action against SSP Farrukh Raza, SP Clifton Majida Halepoto, SHO Aijaz Khattak, and other police personnel for creating a climate of fear and harassment towards lawyers. It also called for the removal of SHO Khattak and the suspension or transfer of SSP Raza, SP Halepoto, and SHO Defence Ghulam Nabi Afridi.
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