Lawyers will observe strike today

Pakistan Bar Council said the lawyers will observe countrywide strike today (December 13) against partial and biased conduct of police and Lahore administration. The secretary PBC on Thursday issued Vice-Chairman Syed Amjad Shah's statement, which said the lawyers all over the country will hold condemnation meetings in their respective bar rooms against the conduct of the government and the statements of its functionaries singling out and targeting only the lawyers.

It said: "Although the bar bodies at federal and provincial level and their leaders deplored and condemned the unfortunate incident took place yesterday (Wednesday) in Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore, when some young lawyers demonstrated irresponsible conduct, the local administration, specially the police, has arrested a large number of advocates even those who were not present there and the FIRs have been lodged against them, so much so under the provision of the Anti-Terrorist Act, which is highly condemnable. At the same time the conduct of the government and the statements of its functionaries singling out and targeting only the lawyers, are also equally condemnable."

Amjad Shah deplored the Islamabad High Court's action to suspend secretary IHCBA's license. He stated that the secretary IHCBA was requesting the members of the bar to observe strike in pursuance of decisions of different bar bodies.

Meanwhile, Tariq Asad, senior advocate Supreme Court and a human rights activist on Thursday filed a petition in the Supreme Court under Article 184(3) of Constitution.

He prayed that an impartial judicial Commission comprising retired judges of Supreme Court be constituted to probe into the PIC incident so that the persons responsible for such occurrence be dealt with in accordance with law without fear and favor.

The matter be resolved by apex court as the lawyers of Lahore would not be controlled by the law enforcing agencies and even by the learned judges of the Lahore High Court, Lahore.

The licenses of lawyers, who crossed the limits of decency, be suspended forthwith and those who have been arrested and those who may be identified be dealt with in accordance with law and cases of murder and damaging the property be registered against them.

Tariq stated the conduct of Lahore District Bar Association lawyers embarrassed the senior advocates in the society and in the eye of general public at large that the lawyers are hooligans and have no regard for the rule of law.