Lawyers, civil society protest for judges’ family protection

KARACHI: Legal fraternity and civil society demanded for foolproof security for a family of two serving judges, one retired judge and a senior lawyer, under attack from last three years and has lost the lives of three family members in a feud with another clan.

Servants of Sindh (SoS) a human rights organisation comprised of writers, intellectuals, educationists and lawyers protested in front of Karachi Press Club and demanded of the Sindh government, IG Sindh Police and DG Rangers for the security of the family of Judges.

On Thursday last week, the house of Judges, Additional Sessions Judge Mehar district Dadu Ghulam Ali Kanasro, Senior Civil Judge Ayaz Ali Kanasro, retired judge of Anti-Terrorism Court Farman Ali Kanasro and Senior Lawyer Safdar Kanasro came under rocket attack by a gang of criminals in a village in interior Sindh.

Apart from Karachi protest, Lawyers and workers of different civil society organisations protested all over Sindh against the current and contentious attacks upon ‘Kanasro’ family and demanded strict action against criminals involved in continuous attacks upon judges’ family.

Lawyers community and civil society demanded for the foolproof security of both judges’ brothers; their other brother a retired judge of anti-terrorism court and other family members. Earlier, said ‘Kanasro’ family of judge has lost the lives of three family members, injured many persons and received loss of its property in a tribal clash with a gang of criminal elements of Pitafi community in last two years.

Area sources informed The News that the ‘family’ has knocked all the doors of law enforcers and feudal lords and done its all efforts to get protection and reconciliation with opponent group but all efforts could not succeeded due to ego of some feudal lords, lawlessness and week control of police and other state institutions in area.

‘Kanasro’ family is a well-known in Sindh as a part of legal fraternity having one Additional District and Sessions Judge Ghulam Ali Kanasro, another brother …. Senior Civil Judge, Farman Ali Kanasro, a retired Judge of Anti-Terrorim Court, Safdar Kanasro, a senior lawyer but despite having positions in judiciary family is under sense of fear and uncertainty; almost all state institutions and law enforcers become helpless to get them rid of the situation.

Former Supreme Court president Justice (R) Rasheed A Rizvi, Karachi Bar Association president Hyder Imam Rizvi, Senior Lawyer Haq Nawaz Talpur, senior lawyer Sajjad Chandio, advocate Muneer Sehto, advocate Qazi Intkhab, convener Servants of Sindh renowned writer Manzoor Solangi Secretary Asif Kumbhar and others in their statements demanded Inspector General Sindh Police and Director General (DG) Rangers to provide immediate security to family and arrest of all criminals involved in murders, their supporters and instigators.

Local people infirmed that said law abiding ‘Kanasro’ family unwillingly become the part of the tribal feud when there one relative Barkat Ali Kanasro a mentally retarded person who was expelled from the Pakistan Army due to his mental illness allegedly murdered a Pitafi minor Mir Abdullah in December 2014, family presented the murderer before the area police, but some miscreant elements of opponent community knowing the mental illness of accused instead of accused Barkat nominated his two other relatives Mazhar and Bahadur in murder case, the matter is under proceeding and both are in jail.

‘Kanasiro’ family tried its best to reconcile with opponents as the murder was done by a mentally retarded person and nominated accused were behind the bars, as the reconciliation efforts with the help of area notables started; some feudal lords intervened and sabotaged all efforts and allegedly instigated criminal element of opponent community to take revenge resultantly Sahib Khan Kanasro, 70 years old, a senior lawyer and father of three judges was murdered; police lodged a case and arrested nominated accused--case is pending in court.

The son of deceased Sahib Khan namely advocate Safdar Ali filed a petition with the Sinsh High Court, Sukkur bench, Petition No:D-869/2016, seeking directions to DG Rangers and police authorities to arrest the culprits and provide security to family.

The petition was allowed and authorities were strictly directed to take serious efforts to arrest the accused persons, provide security, but the police and Rangers authorities didn’t give any weight to the SHC order.

The said petitioner advocate Safdar Ali number of times approached police authorities along with orders of the high court but didn’t pay any heed. Consequently, in January 2017, the son-in-law and nephew of deceased Sahib Khan, namely, Mohammed Ashraf Kanasro, was murdered while he was taking his kids to school, within the sight of his relatives and kids he succumbed to injuries.

After this advocate Safdar Ali filed another petition No:929/2017 against police authorities for not taking serious efforts in making arrest of culprits In January , 2018 , the culprits , who are also allowed, and directions were made to police authorities to provide security, but due to casual attitude of the area police, the family lost another family member Nazir Ahmed Kanasro, a retired Army offical, the elder brother of deceased Mohammed Ashfaq Kanasro and brother in law of Additional Sessions Judge Ghulam Ali Kanasro.

Such FIR has been lodged, matter is under investigation, but the legal heirs of deceased are no more hopeful that they would get justice. Advocate Safdar Kanasro told The News that despite orders of the Sindh High Court, police is not providing proper security to his family.

Advocate Kanasro blamed that some officials of a major institute of law enforcers involved in committing murders of their family members, providing finances and shelter to murderers and such complaints have been lodged at proper forum.

The area senior superintendent of police told The News that almost all nominated accused of murders of ‘Kanasro’ has been arrested and sufficient police security has been provided to the family.