Lawyers express solidarity with terrorism victims

Demand that a military-led operation be launched in the province to eliminate terrorist outfits


Lawyers from several bar associations took out a rally from Aiwan-i-Adal to the Assembly Chambers. PHOTO: ABID NAWAZ/EXPRESS

LAHORE: Lawyers affiliated with several bar associations of the country on Tuesday took out a rally to express solidarity with the families of those who lost their lives in Sunday’s terrorist attack at Gulshan-i-Iqbal Park. The speakers demanded that a military-led operation be launched in the province to eradicate terrorist outfits. They said the government and its law enforcement agencies had failed to provide security to the people.

The rally was attended by representatives of the Pakistan Bar Council, the Punjab Bar Council, the Supreme Court Bar Association, the Lahore High Court Bar Association, the Lahore Bar Association, the Tax Bar Association as well as bar associations of Sheikhupura, Gujranwala, Okara and Ferozewala.

Former Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Asma Jahangir said that it was about time the government took concrete measures to deal with the menace of terrorism. She said the rulers had made arrangements for the security of their own children and left the children of ordinary citizens at the mercy of terrorist outfits.

PPP leader Jahangir Badar said the lawyers’ community had gathered to send out a message of solidarity to families of those who had lost their lives or were injured in the terrorist attack. He said unity of the nation was a need of the hour.

Former SCBA president Abid Hasan Minto stressed the need for preemptive measures against terrorism. He said knee-jerk reactions to the attacks would not take the government very far in its efforts against terrorist outfits.

SCBA president Syed Ali Zafar announced that a joint action committee of lawyers would soon be formed to devise a plan of action on the government’s failure to eradicate terrorism from the country.

He said the committee would comprise members of bar associations and would be headed by the SCBA president.

“The success of this peaceful rally shows that the people of Pakistan are united against terrorism,” he said.

Zafar said the attack at the Gulshan-i-Iqbal Park had shown that the government had failed to provide security to the citizens. “It was the Easter Sunday. The government should have made security arrangements at all public parks,” he said.

He said whenever there was a terrorist attack people staged demonstrations but forgot about the incident in a few days. However, he said, this time the nation had decided that it would not sit back till the network of terrorist outfits was dismantled.

Zafar said it was well known that in some areas in the province there was support for terrorists. However, he said, the government had failed to take any action over the matter.

Referring to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s Monday night address to the nation, he said no assurance was given to the public about an operation against terrorism in the province.

The rally started at Aiwan-i-Adl and was joined by more lawyers at the GPO Chowk. From there, it marched to the Assembly Chambers where it concluded.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 30th,  2016.

 

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