Right of way: Lawyers boycott court hearings at PHC in protest

Say they will call country-wide strike over checkpoint harassment.

PESHAWAR: Lawyers from the Peshawar High Court Bar Association (PHCBA) and District Bar Association boycotted court proceedings on Friday to protest the interception of convoys of PHC judges at checkpoints across the province. Lawyers did not appear in courts on Friday, due to which no hearings were held.

However, a large number of petitioners still visited the high and lower courts on Friday hoping their cases and petitions could move forward. They were then informed about the strike.

While talking to The Express Tribune, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council member advocate Ijaz Khan said intercepting judges at checkpoints was not fair. “Judges also have immunity from search and their sanctity should be respected,” he added.



Calling Friday’s boycott a “warning,” Ijaz said, “We will block roads if need be, if higher courts convoys are intercepted again.”

Another lawyer Muhammad Ayaz Khan said all police stations and personnel of checkpoints are informed about the judges’ movement through these areas. He said it was tantamount to disrespecting the judiciary. “Personnel should be warned to respect the movement of judges and not to stop them for checking,” he added.

The lawyers warned to block GT Road and call a country-wide strike if judges were “harassed” at checkpoints again, Ayaz said.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 3^rd, 2015.