On 25th May 2015 few lawyers were protesting outside the office of TMA followed by a quarrel between TMO and President of Daska Bar. On that police was invited to control the situation. Punjab Police opened gunfire on the unarmed lawyers killing the president of Bar Rana Khalid Abbas along with one more lawyer and injured few other lawyers with firing.
The original issue was that the court complex of Daska was not having water for more than a week. The TMO was not entertaining their request despite frequent visits by the elected cabinet of Daska Bar Association. However, the issue was misreported by some channels include GEO TV to portray wrong image of lawyers. GEO TV reported that the incident happened because of the registration of Nikahnama to create bad impression about the lawyers.
Bar Associations all over Pakistan are on strike over the killing of innocent lawyers by the Police. This is not the first time when State attacked lawyers community. Lawyers have been attacked on 12th May 2007 when they were burnt alive in Karachi during the Lawyer's Movement. Similarly on 3rd March 2014 many lawyers were murdered and injured at Islamabad District Courts when few terrorists entered the court premises and attacked. Not a single bullet was fired in defense of Lawyers by the police officials on duty as if they wished the lawyers to be killed at the hands of terrorists.
Lawyers are demanding resignation of PM Mian Nawaz Shareef and his brother Mian Shahbaz Sharif over the Daska incident. Most of the Bar Associations countrywide are on protest for the second day also on 27th May 2015. On the other hand no apologies have been tendered by the CM Punjab or PM Pakistan. Neither any concerned police officer is so far arrested or nominated in FIR. The Lawyers all around Pakistan might take the law in their hands if nothing is done over the killing of innocent lawyers by the State.
Regards,
Salman Yousaf Khan (Golra)
Advocate High Court
Member Islamabad Bar Association
