Lawyers demand fresh probe into May 12 mayhem

KARACHI: Legal fraternity on Tuesday demanded a fair and transparent inquiry into the lawlessness and killing of over 50 persons of May 12, 2007 mayhem and role of law enforcement agencies for failure to bring the culprits to justice. The demand came by the Sindh Bar Council, Sindh High Court Bar Association and leaders of bar associations in their statements and meetings held to remember the May 12 mayhem.

Sindh Bar Council Vice Chairman Syed Haider Imam Rizvi, SHCBA President Ziaul Haq Makhdoom, Secretary Haseeb Jamali and others said that May 12, 2007 will be remembered as a black day as more than 50 people were killed on the streets of Karachi to stop former Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry from attending a reception hosted by the High Court Bar Association. They said that despite the killing of innocent citizens, then president and army chief General Pervez Musharaf termed it manifestation of people’s power.

They said that almost 13 years have lapsed but there has not been concrete action by any organ of the state, including the judiciary, to conduct a proper inquiry into such gruesome crime against humanity and to apprehend and punish the culprits of such calamity. They questioned that despite the Rangers-targeted operation against the terrorist outfits and militant wings of political parties, people ask why the perpetrators and facilitators of the May 12 mayhem are exempted from such accountability.

They were of the view had the culprits involved in the May 12 mayhem been punished, the lives of thousands of citizens could have been saved who became victims of lawlessness for the last several years after 2007 merely due to non-punishment of the culprits of May 12 mayhem. They said that neither the May 12 mayhem will be forgotten nor will be allowed to forget.

They demanded the government and the judiciary to order a fresh probe into the May 12 mayhem and identify those responsible whether through acts of commission or omission for the killings for besieging the high court and districts courts of Karachi, for attacking lawyers and media and for allowing the perpetrators and facilitators to escape unscathed.

The SHCBA, in its managing committee meeting, paid homage to the martyrs of May 12 mayhem. The SHCBA demanded that all those responsible for making citizens of Karachi hostage and killing of more than 50 innocent persons, including Pervez Akthtar Kiyani, advocate, should be publicly tried. The association also demanded compensation for the bereaved families of the lawyers from the provincial and federal governments immediately.

The lawyers of the SHC observed a black day and boycotted the court proceedings on the call of SBC and bar associations. The court working was affected due to the lawyers strike and judges heard urgent cases in their chambers.

It is pertinent to mention the SHC on September 12, 2018 had ordered the Sindh government to constitute an inquiry tribunal headed by a sitting or retired high court judge to probe the violent incidents of May 12, 2007, which occurred over a decade ago.

The SHC, which also framed a 13-point terms of reference for the inquiry, observed that the tribunal shall complete the inquiry within three months. The court had expressed dissatisfaction over the criminal proceedings against the May 12 culprits by the provincial government.