Lawyers boycott court proceedings, announce sit-in

The legal fraternity of Karachi observed a complete strike at the city courts and the Malir district courts on Tuesday in response to a call of the Sindh Bar Council for an indefinite suspension of legal work across the province in protest against the planned construction of six new canals on the Indus River.

Lawyers locked all entrances to the city courts, preventing litigants and court staff from entering the judicial complex. The courts presented a deserted look as all proceedings were suspended for the day, and even under-trial prisoners scheduled for hearings were not brought from jail.

Judges took up only urgent matters in their chambers, while a large number of lawyers held a sit-in on MA Jinnah Road. In a statement, the Karachi Bar Association (KBA) announced a complete boycott of legal proceedings for an indefinite period starting April 22. It said that only lawyers would be allowed entry through the judges’ gate, while all other entrances would remain locked.

Speaking at a press conference, KBA acting general secretary Imran Aziz announced an expansion of lawyers’ protest movement against the canals project. “For the past six months we have been running a constitutional and peaceful campaign on four key issues, with the construction of new canals and corporate farming being the most critical. Our demands have not been met yet,” Aziz said, adding that the ongoing sit-in at the Babarlo Bypass has entered its fifth day.

He announced that in line with the decision by the All Sindh Lawyers Action Committee, lawyers would now hold a sit-in at Bin Qasim Link Road near Gulshan-e-Hadeed as part of the expanded agitation.