Expressing Outrage: Lawyers boycotts court proceedings

The demonstration was held over the killing of Hussain, who was a senior member of PHCBA.

PESHAWAR:

Advocate Malik Jarar Hussain’s killing on Friday sparked outrage amongst the legal fraternity with lawyers boycotting court proceedings and demanding the transfer of capital city police officer.

The demonstration was held over the killing of Hussain, who was a senior member of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association (PHCBA), and the alleged torture of another lawyer Advocate Furqan at the hands of police on Thursday. Khyber Road was blocked for traffic as protesters walked from the Judicial Complex to the Governor House chanting slogans against authorities before staging a sit-in outside the Governor House. They demanded authorities nab the killers of Hussain and demanded the transfer of the CCPO, while maintaining that a case should be filed against the assistant superintendent of Gulbahar police for allegedly torturing Furqan. Press Secretary of the District Bar Association, Muhammad Bashar Naveed told The Express Tribune that if a case is not registered against the assistant superintendent of police and the capital city police officer not transferred, they would increase the intensity of their protests. “We ask Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court Dost Muhammad Khan to take suo motu notice of both incidents. Otherwise, lawyers will be compelled to prolong their boycott,” warned Naveed, while also requesting the Pakistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa bar councils to join them in their protest. Meanwhile, PHCBA General Secretary Qazi Jawad told journalists the association will observe a complete strike and boycott court proceedings to condemn both incidents, specifically the killing of Hussain.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 9^th, 2013.