Jirga demands judicial probe into lawyer’s murder case

CHARSADDA: A grand jirga of the Kakakhel tribe was held here on Sunday to press for justice in the case of Syed Asim Shah Advocate, who was allegedly killed in police firing in Charsadda on August 22.

The jirga, organised by political figures Mian Humayun Shah Kakakhel and Mian Alamgir Shah Kakakhel, drew large participation from members of the Kakakhel tribe hailing from Charsadda, Peshawar, Nowshera, Mardan and other districts. The father of the slain lawyer, Mohsin Shah, and his relatives also attended.

The participants of the jirga strongly condemned the killing of Advocate Asim Shah and demanded strict legal action against the accused police officer, Bahrmand Shah. A unanimous resolution was adopted, calling for the formation of a judicial commission headed by a senior Peshawar High Court judge to ensure transparent investigations and speedy justice.

The jirga further demanded that the accused officer’s name be immediately placed on the Exit Control List (ECL), the provincial government ensure enforcement of the Lawyers’ Protection Bill, and Advocate Asim Shah be officially declared a “martyr of justice.” They also urged the government to provide security to his family and to form a police reforms committee to safeguard citizens’ basic rights. The resolution warned that if any attempt was made by the police department or other institutions to protect the accused officer, the Kakakhel tribe would continue its collective struggle for justice through the Supreme Court, Peshawar High Court and Pakistan Bar Council.