Attacking the judiciary: Lawyers boycott courts

PESHAWAR/SWABI:

Lawyers in various parts of the province boycotted court proceedings on Tuesday in protest against the suicide attack at the court complex in Shabqadar, Charsadda on Monday.

Lawyers did not appear before any court, forcing litigants, who mostly had been waiting since early morning, to go back without having their cases heard.

“We express sorrow over the loss of precious lives of innocents who were killed over no fault [of their own],” Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council Executive Committee Chairman Muhammad Ijaz Khan Sabi told the media in Peshawar. He and K-P Bar Council Vice Chairperson Muhammad Tariq Afridi reiterated the call for the boycott.

Afridi demanded the government ensure implementation of National Action Plan (NAP). “The government should provide security to the legal community and ensure implementation of NAP in letter and spirit,” he said.

Members of the bar council condemned the attack and demanded the government expose those who facilitate terrorists. They also expressed sympathies and condolences for the bereaved families.

In Swabi, Lahor Bar Association (LBA) boycotted courts. A condolence reference was also held at the bar room of LBA President Advocate Walayat Khan. A large number of lawyers were present there. The lawyers called the attack an act of cowardice by terrorists. They stressed the need for security at the courts and announced holding a black day for March 10.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 9^th, 2016.