BA slates manhandling of Arbab Rahim, Sher Afgan

KARACHI - Sindh High Court Bar Association while condemning the incidents related to Arbab Rahim and Sher Afgan Niazi, and also burning of offices of lawyers in Mianwali, has called upon the nation in general and lawyers' community in particular to remain united and peaceful and to thwart all efforts of agencies aimed to derail the democratic process started in Pakistan after 18th February, 2008.
The general body of the Sindh High Court Bar Association, Karachi was held on Wednesday 9th April, 2008 followed by the token hunger strike by Tauqeer A. Khan and Naveed Ahmed Khan. The meeting was largely attended by the Advocates. Rasheed A. Razvi presided the meeting. In a resolution unanimously passed by the Sindh High Court Bar Association, it sad SHCBA strongly believes in the principal of democracy and rule of law, and the lawyers community equally believes in the role of opposition parties for a strong democratic system and in the principles of equality and tolerance.
SHCBA resolution stated that it believed that those persons responsible for violation of Constitution and other illegal acts should not go unpunished, and strongly condemned the act of violence committed on the former Sindh Chief Minicter Arbab Ghulam Raheem and former Federal Minister Sher Afgan Niazi and clarified that such unlawful acts were committed by the personnel of agencies and those elements who always opposed democracy in Pakistan.
"The Lawyer Community believe in peacful struggle and had never restored to any violence despite the fact that they were subjected to severe torturous and violent acts of the police and law enforcement's agencies, such as the incident of Lahore, Sahiwal, Pindi and Karachi.
"The house also condemns the act of some of the Mianwali citizen who have burnt the office of Lawyers and the District Bar Room. This association notes with great pain and sorrow that while the print and electronic media have un-necessarily highlighted the acts of violence, on the other hand, have not displayed the hooliganism committed on the properties of Lawyers in the city of Mianwali.
"While reposing complete unshaken confidence in the leadership of the President, Supreme Court Bar Association Ch. Aitzaz Ahsan in all earnest urge him to review his decision and immediately withdraw his resignation otherwise it will, cause irreparable damage to Lawyers' movement," resolution said.