Lawyers belonging to different bar associations on Saturday urged the legal fraternity to maintain unity and harmony while continuing its struggle for due rights. tWhile addressing ‘Sindh Lawyers Representatives Conference’ at Shuhda-e-Punjab Hall at Karachi’s City Court, the representatives from Pakistan Bar Council (PBC), Sindh Bar Council (SBC) and Karachi Bar Association (KBA) asked the lawyers to sustain their unity and continue their struggle for implementing the rule of law and justice for all.
The programme was organised by the KBA in collaboration with SBC on Saturday and addressed by PBC members Zia Awan and Rasheed A Rizvi; SBC Vice Chairman Iftikhar Javid Qazi and members, Mehmoodul Hasan, Hanif Kashmiri and Naeem Qureshi; KBA President Muhammad Aqil and General Secretary Haider Imam Rizvi; Mirza Saleem Baig from Tando Adam and Arbab Ali from Sanghar among other representatives from across the Sindh.
Expressing deep concerns over killing and harassment of lawyers by gangs operating in the metropolitan city, the representatives said that lawyers were receiving life threats while counselling in different high-profile cases but the law enforcers have failed to provide them security. “The entire legal fraternity is facing different problems, including lack of security and basic facilities, but we are still committed with our objectives and principles,” they said.
“Many lawyers have lost their lives while serving their duties but none of the culprits has been arrested so far, proving the failure of law enforcement agencies,” they added. Quoting incidents of killings and attacks on lawyers across the province, the lawyer leaders said that despite a number of such incidents taking place, no serious initiative has been taken in this regard. “Four years have lapsed but the law enforcers have not been able to arrest the culprits involved in the May 12 carnage and the April 9 killing of lawyers,” they added.
The lawyers reiterated their demand of arresting and punishing the culprits involved in killing of lawyers, political and human rights activists, and other innocent people during the lawyers’ ‘restoration of judiciary’ campaign. “The people who lost their loved ones during the lawyers’ movement particularly on May 12, 2007 and April 9, 2008 are still seeking justice,” they said.
