Lawyers protest colleague’s murder

On the joint call by the Punjab Bar Council and the District Bar Association, lawyers at the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi Bench and the district courts Tuesday observed a complete strike against the brutal murder of a young lawyer from Rawalpindi, Chaudhry Kamran Younis.

Younis was murdered a day earlier in the Patwar Khana of the Revenue Department within the limits of Rawat Police Station. The strike was observed in all six districts of the Rawalpindi Division, including Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Murree and Tala Gang, as well as in all their Tehsil Courts.

On the appeal of the Punjab Bar Council, a strike was held in other districts of the province after 11am. Due to the strike, lawyers did not appear in the LHC’s Rawalpindi Bench and the district courts. Meanwhile, a protest gathering was held in the bar hall and a rally was also taken out. Speaking on the occasion, District Bar Association President Faisal Khan Niazi said the killing of a lawyer was condemnable.

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“A case should be registered under the Anti-Terrorism Act and the suspects should be arrested,” he demanded and warned that the lawyers would continue to protest until the arrest of the accused. Rawalpindi High Court Bar Association President Tanveer Iqbal Khan said the police had completely failed to protect the lawyers.

“The accused should be immediately arrested,” he said. Punjab Bar Council Vice Chairman Basharatullah Khan said the police were not providing any protection to the lawyers. “There have been many cases of murder of lawyers in Punjab,” he said and warned that the lawyers would no longer remain silent. Tabish Farooq Saduzai, a senior member of the High Court Bar Association, said: “Today, the lawyers have shown their unity by going on a complete strike and boycotting the courts against this murder.” She warned that if the police did not arrest the accused, the lawyers could stop the police from entering the courtrooms.