Quetta bombing: Lawyers boycott courts across Sindh

Medical emergency declared, flags to fly at half-mast


Our Correspondents August 08, 2016
Court proceedings came to a halt on Monday after the legal fraternity observed a boycott in protest of the killing of the Balochistan Bar Association president. PHOTO: ONLINE

SUKKUR/ KARACHI: Lawyers across Sindh boycotted all legal proceedings on Monday to protest the targeted killing of the Balochistan High Court Bar Association president, as well as the subsequent bombing at the Civil hospital in Quetta.

Many of the deceased and injured are members of the legal fraternity who had reached the hospital following the killing of Bilal Anwar Kasi, the bar association’s chief. A number of wounded were being shifted to hospitals in Karachi, due to which a medical emergency was also declared in some of the city’s main medical facilities.

The Pakistan Bar Council and the Supreme Court Bar Association gave a call for the boycott and announced a week-long mourning period, while the Sindh government announced a day’s mourning on Tuesday (today).

“The Government of Sindh condemns this act of gruesome terrorism and expresses solidarity with the bereaved families. The national flag will fly at half mast,” reads the notification issued by the services, general administration and coordination department.

After the incident, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah telephoned his counterpart in Balochistan, Sardar Sanaullah Zehri, and expressed his deep sorrow over the tragic loss of lives, according to the statement.

In a statement, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan strongly condemned the blast and expressed deep grief and anguish over the loss of precious human lives. In a message, he said the nation is united against terrorism and operation Zarb-e-Azb has broken the backbone of terrorists. He added that the fight against the monster of terrorism will continue till the elimination of the last terrorist.

Medical emergency

The health department declared emergency at the Jinnah Postgraduate and Medical Centre and Civil Hospital, Karachi, along with other medical facilities of the metropolis, as many victims of the Quetta blast were reportedly being shifted to Karachi.

Health director Shakoor Abbasi told The Express Tribune they have deputed an official at the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) for facilitation purposes in case any critical victims are brought there.

An AKUH spokesperson said they have been approached by the government of Balochistan that some critical wounded would arrive at the facility soon. “We are expecting around 20 patients to arrive anytime tonight (Monday),” said the spokesperson.

Litigants suffer

At the Sindh High Court, all legal proceedings were suspended on the request of the Sindh High Court Bar Association. The judges, however, remained present in their chambers to entertain urgent matters.

The legal proceedings were also suspended at the Karachi City courts, Malir District courts, anti-terrorism courts, anti-corruption courts and other tribunals on request of the bar associations’ representatives.

A large number of cases fixed for the day were adjourned, as lawyers did not show up.

The boycott resulted in difficulties for litigants as well as the under-trial prisoners who had been brought to the courts from their respective prisons.

‘They want to terrorise us’

Members of the legal fraternity throughout Sindh also stayed away from courts to vent their anger against the Quetta bombing.

Following the incident, lawyers in Sukkur, Hyderabad, Khairpur, Shikarpur, Ghotki, Jacobabad, Kashmore-Kandhkot, Jacobabad, Larkana and other cities stayed away from high courts and the subordinate courts and staged protest demonstrations.

In Sukkur and Hyderabad, lawyers boycotted courts proceedings at the high court and district and sessions court as a token of protest against the death of lawyers in the Quetta bomb blast. Condemning the Quetta incident, Sukkur High Court Bar Association president Qurban Ali Malano termed it an act of terrorism.

“It seems that the terrorists want to terrorise lawyers to hamper their struggle for the independence of judiciary and human rights,” he said, adding that he wants to make it clear that despite all the attacks lawyers will continue their struggle for the independence of the judiciary and human rights.

The lawyers’ community had recently returned to work from a prolonged nationwide boycott of legal proceedings to protest the kidnapping of Barrister Ovais Ali Shah, son of the Sindh High Court Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, from outside a Karachi supermarket. Ovais was recently recovered in a military operation from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa after being in the custody of his abductors for around three weeks.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 9th, 2016.

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