Putting a foot down: Bar association condemns violation of SHC's sanctity by NAB officials

SHCBA adopts resolution against mishandling of lawyers on Sharjeel Memon's bail dismissal day

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA) condemned on Monday the high-handedness of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) authorities within the Sindh High Court (SHC) premises against lawyers on October 23, when the bail of former information minister Sharjeel Inam Memon was dismissed.

This condemnation came in a resolution jointly adopted by the association's members at a meeting held on Monday, more than a week after the incident took place.



Memon had played hide and seek with the NAB authorities for six hoursafter cancellation of his interim bail by a division bench, but finally had to surrender. As soon as he came out of the building's gate, Memon's lawyers had paraded within the building in an attempt to avoid his arrest by NAB but he was finally taken into custody.

The bar association resolved that the involvement of the NAB authorities inside the high court premises while arresting the accused persons was a clear violation of the sanctity of the high court and its premises.

"The law enforcement agencies misbehaved with and mishandled many lawyers, including female lawyers, within the prescribed limits and premises of SHC," the resolution stated, adding that a number of complaints were received in this regard.

"This bar association strongly condemns such an unlawful act of NAB authorities while arresting the accused persons and demands action against the delinquent officials, who have misbehaved with and mishandled the lawyers inside the SHC," it added.

The resolution demanded that in future, no such incident will be tolerated by any law enforcement agency within the perimeter and precincts of the SHC, as it is a violation of the sanctity of the court.