December 28, 2002	Saturday	Shawwal 23, 1423

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QUETTA, Dec 27: The three representative bodies of Balochistan lawyers on Friday demanded that the government restrain the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation agents from their unlawful activities.

A meeting of Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), Balochistan Bar Council (BBC) and Balochistan High Court Bar Association, presided over by BHCBA President Amanullah Kanrani, expressed deep concern over the activities of the FBI here, in Lahore, Karachi and other areas.

It described the taking into custody of Dr Amir Aziz, Dr Javed Farrukh Fazalullah, Khalid Baloch and may others by the FBI agents as a violation of the laws, the country’s sovereignty and Article 10 of the Constitution.

A resolution adopted unanimously stated that the Article 10 gave the right to every citizen that he should be informed about the reason of his arrest and he must be produced before a magistrate within 24 hours. Under the article, the authorities concerned must take permission from a magistrate before taking any person into custody for investigation, it said. The arrested person should be given facilities for hiring services of a lawyer and his relatives should be allowed to meet him during custody, it said.

The resolution observed that the fundamental rights of the people had been violated by the FBI and other agencies during the last months and citizens had been arrested in Quetta, Karachi and Lahore.

“The arrest of any person without adopting legal procedure is kidnapping at gunpoint. It is against the Constitution and violation of human rights,” the resolution said.

The lawyers expressed concern over the situation and demanded that the government stop the illegal practice and give legal protection to its citizens as assured in the Constitution.

“All Pakistani citizens arrested by the FBI should be released without delay as their arrest is illegal,” the resolution demanded and announced that if the government did not stop the illegal activities, the lawyers would launch a movement for the protection of the rights of the people.

The resolution said its was the responsibility of President Gen Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali and the chief ministers to ensure protection of the Constitution.

The meeting condemned the grenade attack on a church near Daska and expressed sympathy with the families of the victims. The participants observed that the government had failed to give protection to the places of worship and educational institutions of minorities.

They urged the government to fulfil its responsibilities regarding protection of the minorities. All possible efforts should be made for the early arrest of the terrorists involved in the attack, they said.

SCBA Vice-President Raja Rub Nawaz, BBC Executive Committee Chairman Malik Zahoor Ahmed Shahwani and other senior lawyers also spoke on the occasion.