Karachi Bar Association (KBA) President Amir Nawaz Warraich was injured in an attack by unidentified assailants near the City Station on II Chundrigar Road within the jurisdiction of Mithadar Police Station on Tuesday night. Warraich was taken to the Civil Hospital Karachi for medical treatment. In a video statement following the incident, he alleged that six men carried out a targeted attack on him. He linked the attack to the ongoing protest over the controversial canals issue. “We will never back down from the six-canal matter. They will have to shut down the six canals. Our All Pakistan Convention scheduled for April 12 will go ahead as planned.”
Warraich further warned that if action is not taken within 72 hours, lawyers may move to shut down the Punjab border and railway tracks as part of their protest.
He also made it clear he would not be lodging an FIR, stating that “do whatever you want, but we will not retreat from our mission or determination”. Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar took notice of the attack and sought a detailed report from the SSP City on initial police proceedings. He instructed that all those involved in the attack must be brought to justice and that the investigation should proceed effectively, in consultation with the legal fraternity.
He also directed the investigators to thoroughly examine evidence from the crime scene to ensure the probe leads to a concrete outcome. The Sindh Bar Council condemned the murderous attack on KBA President Amir Nawaz Warraich and announced it would observe a full day strike in all courts of the province on April 9.
SBC Vice Chairman Shafqat Rahim Rajput and other members said the murderous attempt on the KBA president, who sustained serious injuries, was a complete failure of the law enforcement agencies as they failed to provide complete protection to the lawyers.
The bar demanded of the Sindh IGP to take notice over the incident, lodge an FIR and apprehend the culprits involved in the incident. It also demanded complete protection for the lawyers and their families. The bar council also announced a complete strike would be observed on Wednesday (today) against the incident and asked the legal fraternity to not appear before the courts as mark of protest.
Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi chapter chief Munim Zafar Khan strongly condemned the attack. “An attack on lawyers is an attack on the rule of law. The assault on Amir Warraich is both tragic and unacceptable.”
He urged the government and law enforcement agencies to act swiftly, emphasizing that providing security to lawyers is the state's responsibility. He also expressed solidarity with the legal community and demanded the immediate arrest of those involved in the incident.
