Hyderabad lawyers block National Highway, restricting traffic

The ongoing protest by lawyers in Hyderabad has caused major disruptions to traffic flow, particularly affecting key routes connecting Karachi, Punjab, and rural Sindh.

The demonstration, which began at Wadhu Wah Gate on the Hyderabad Bypass, has led to a complete halt in traffic.

The protest caused significant disruption on the key bypass road connecting the Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway with the National Highway, creating long vehicle queues and leaving passengers stranded and distressed.

The protest stems from a legal dispute between the local police and the lawyer community, following the registration of a case against Ali Raza Advocate for using a fake number plate.

The lawyers have been demanding the transfer of SSP Hyderabad Farukh Lanjhar and the dismissal of the SHO of Bhittai Nagar police station.

They also want the fraud case against the lawyer community to be withdrawn.

As the protest intensified, the traffic disruption affected not only daily commuters but also long-distance travelers, causing significant inconvenience and delays.

The Sindh High Court Bar Association's president, Advocate Ayaz Hussain Tunio, made it clear that if their demands are not met, they will extend their protest across the country.

Senior lawyers, including Advocate Sajjad Ahmed Chandio, argued that the issue is about upholding the rule of law, not just a matter between the police and lawyers.

Advocate K B Lutf Ali Laghari warned that the lawyers may initiate a nationwide movement, similar to the one in 2007 for the restoration of former Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, if their demand for SSP Lanjar's removal is not met.

On the other hand, the Sindh Police have insisted on resolving the issue through legal means. They have proposed a judicial inquiry, supervised by the District Session Judge of Hyderabad, to investigate the matter.

Despite these efforts, the protest continues to hold strong, with both sides standing firm on their positions.

The police maintain that the FIR is part of a crackdown on vehicles with fancy plates, tinted windows, and police lights, with around 50 FIRs filed recently for similar offenses.

However, the lawyers reject this explanation, claiming it was a personal retaliation by SSP Lanjar after his vehicle was overtaken.

Earlier on Wednesday, district police officials responded to the lawyers' protest inside the SSP office by submitting leave applications, effectively relinquishing their charges of the police stations and various police units.

The Sindh information secretary of the Pakistan Peoples Party, former senator Aajiz Dhamrah, visited the protestors on Thursday night. He sat with them on the road and patiently listened as Advocate Laghari narrated the lawyers' complaints.