In solidarity : Lawyers on strike after attack on judge’s vehicle
Say if judiciary is not secure, ordinary citizens are right to worry
File photo. PHOTO: RASHID AJMERI/EXPRESS/FILE
HARIPUR:
Lawyers went on complete strike on Monday against an attack on the vehicle of Additional Sessions Judge Hina Khan which left her naib qasid—messenger—dead. The judge was not in the vehicle at the time.
Hina’s family was headed back to the city from Swabi Sunday evening when unidentified motorcyclists opened fire on the judge’s official vehicle. Naib Qasid Syed Sarwar Shah, who was driving the car, died on the spot. The gunmen reportedly mistook Hina Khan’s mother for her and opened fire. However, the judge was not in the car with her family.
The deceased court official was buried in a graveyard in Hattar village on Monday as lawyers, court staff and locals attended the funeral.
To condemn the attack, lawyers in Haripur and Ghazi tehsil went on complete strike and boycotted court proceedings, resulting in the adjournment of cases across
the district.
District bar president Advocate Khurshid Azhar held a meeting with Haripur district judge Farhatullah Khattak and assured the support of the legal fraternity. It was agreed if judges were uncertain about their security; ordinary folks were also rightfully worried.
He condemned the attack and demanded the court employee’s family be compensated through the Shuhada Package quota for K-P. Azhar asked that the deceased’s widow be given a job as she now had the added responsibility of raising young children. According to him, the district judge assured the matter would be taken up
with authorities.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 3rd, 2015.
Lawyers went on complete strike on Monday against an attack on the vehicle of Additional Sessions Judge Hina Khan which left her naib qasid—messenger—dead. The judge was not in the vehicle at the time.
Hina’s family was headed back to the city from Swabi Sunday evening when unidentified motorcyclists opened fire on the judge’s official vehicle. Naib Qasid Syed Sarwar Shah, who was driving the car, died on the spot. The gunmen reportedly mistook Hina Khan’s mother for her and opened fire. However, the judge was not in the car with her family.
The deceased court official was buried in a graveyard in Hattar village on Monday as lawyers, court staff and locals attended the funeral.
To condemn the attack, lawyers in Haripur and Ghazi tehsil went on complete strike and boycotted court proceedings, resulting in the adjournment of cases across
the district.
District bar president Advocate Khurshid Azhar held a meeting with Haripur district judge Farhatullah Khattak and assured the support of the legal fraternity. It was agreed if judges were uncertain about their security; ordinary folks were also rightfully worried.
He condemned the attack and demanded the court employee’s family be compensated through the Shuhada Package quota for K-P. Azhar asked that the deceased’s widow be given a job as she now had the added responsibility of raising young children. According to him, the district judge assured the matter would be taken up
with authorities.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 3rd, 2015.