KP lawyers stay away from courts to protest Shabqadar blast

PESHAWAR: The lawyers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday stayed away from courts and staged protests against the terrorist attack on the tehsil courts in Shabqadar in the Charsadda district a day earlier.

The representatives of lawyers said the boycott would continue on the second consecutive day today (Wednesday) on the call of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council. At least 17 persons were killed and 31 others injured in the suicide blast at the tehsil courts in Shabqadar town of Charsadda district on Monday.

Like other districts of the province, the lawyer community in the city also stayed away from courts, including the Peshawar High Court and the district courts. In a letter, the copy of which was made available to The News, the KP Bar Council Vice-Chairman Tariq Afridi wrote to all the deputy inspector general of police (DIGs) some months prior to the terrorist attack on Shabqadar tehsil courts, seeking foolproof security for the courts and bar associations. 

“I am directed to inform you about the reservations of members of Bar Council, the current security situation in the whole country and particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is known to the police officers. There are security threats to different important personalities and the departments,” the vice-president stated in the letter to DIGs.

“In such a situation, the sources of intelligence agencies revealed that members of KP Bar Council and bar rooms are easy targets for the terrorists,” the letter stated. The letter said that immediate foolproof security measures should be adopted to protect the lives of lawyers and litigants.

“As per the direction you are informed to take immediate measure and provide security otherwise if any untoward incident occurred all the responsible persons will be held accountable for security laps,” the letter had warned. 

A joint condolence meeting of the KP Bar Council, Peshawar High Court Bar Association (PHCBA) and District Bar Association was held at the PHC Bar Room.The Peshawar High Court (PHC) judges, including Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Nisar Hussain Khan, Justice Qaiser Rashid, Justice Asadullah Khan Chamkani and Justice Musarrat Hilali and a number of lawyers attended it.

In a joint resolution on the occasion, the lawyer community asked the provincial government to ensure and provide foolproof security to the lawyers and courts across the province. The PHCBA president, Muhammad Fida Gul, expressed concern over non-provision of strict security to the courts and lawyer despite the fact that the government was intimated in view of the security threats.

“We don’t know why the innocent Muslims are being killed. Islam is a religion of peace,” he said. The lawyers also paid tribute to the policemen, who were killed in the blast while trying to stop the suicide bomber.

The KP Bar Council Vice-chairman, Tariq Afridi, and member Shah Faisal Utmankhel condemned the killing of innocent people in the suicide attack.  “The KP Bar Council has announced court boycott today on request of Shabqadar Bar Association to express solidarity with families of martyrs,” the vice-chairman of KP Bar Council said.