Lawyers boycott courts over slow Quetta bombing probe

Karachi

Karachi’s legal fraternity once again boycotted courts on Monday as it observed a strike against the Quetta carnage, pressing the government for an immediate arrest of the culprits involved in deadly attack.

Lawyers have been protesting against the Quetta blast at the civil hospital wherein more than 70 people were killed and several others injured, mostly lawyers.

Almost a week-long boycott of legal proceedings were observed in Karachi after the murder of Balochistan Bar Association President Bilal Anwar Kasi in Quetta on August 08 followed by the attack on Quetta’s legal fraternity in the hospital.

The legal proceedings in the Sindh High Court and its subordinate courts remained once again suspended on Monday as lawyers of the Karachi Bar Association (KBA), the Malir Bar Association (MBA) and others observed a complete boycott on the nationwide strike call of the Pakistan Bar Council and the Supreme Court Bar Association.

Cases were adjourned by the subordinate courts, the anti-terrorism courts (ATCs) and the other courts due to absence of the lawyers in the cases.

The judges were also appealed by the lawyers to not conduct hearings in to participate in the protest against the killings of their colleagues.  

The senior lawyers lashed out at the government, saying that it remained unmoved and the killers took the lives of all innocent lawyers, who had struggled for the restoration of democracy and promotion of democratic values in this country.

Continuing to mourn their slain fellows, lawyers wore black bands strongly demanded the immediate arrests of the terrorists involved in the attack.

The lawyers also warned the government for its failure to protect the lawyers and maintained that it was the duty of the government to protest the lives of the citizens.

During a meeting held on August 13, the legal fraternity had also discussed about holding a protest demonstration in front of the Parliament House, Islamabad.