Boycott continues: CJ gives one week to arrest advocate’s killers

CJ said if those responsible to catch Hussain’s assassins fail to do so within a week, they should resign.

PESHAWAR:

Peshawar High Court (PHC) Chief Justice (CJ) Dost Muhammad Khan has given the police one week to track down the murderers of advocate Malik Jarar Hussain.

Speaking to members of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association (PHCBA) during its general body meeting on Monday, Justice Khan said if those responsible to catch Hussain’s assassins fail to do so within a week, they should resign from their posts. “Failure to perform duties will not be tolerated,” he added.

The lawyer and human rights activist, who belonged to a Shia family, was gunned down on Friday when he was on his way to drop his children to school. Since then, lawyers in the city have been boycotting court proceedings upon a strike call given by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Bar Association.

CJ Khan added that it was the duty of law enforcement agencies to provide security to all those connected with the judiciary.

Lawyers have also demanded that a case be registered against assistant superintendent police and other police personnel of Gulbahar police station, who allegedly tortured Advocate Furqan last week on Thursday.

Talking about reports that the capital city police officer had tried to influence the medico legal officer’s report regarding the alleged torture, the CJ said that if proved, strict action will be taken against the accused. Meanwhile, lawyers’ boycott of courts is irking complainants whose cases are not being heard. PHCBA General Secretary Qazi Jawad, however, said the strike will continue until their demands are met.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 12^th, 2013.