KARACHI: Bar moves contempt application against top security officials
By A Reporter
KARACHI, May 16: The bar representatives moved a contempt application against the federal interior secretary, the Sindh chief secretary, the home secretary and the provincial police officer on Wednesday for their failure to comply with a court order in respect of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry’s visit to Karachi on May 12.
The applicants said a division bench had directed the authorities on May 11 to provide ‘foolproof security’ to the CJ on the route of his choice to enable him to attend a Sindh High Court Bar Association function on May 12. Instead of being furnished security, the CJ was held up at the airport and the venue of the function was cordoned off.
The application has been moved by Pakistan Bar Council member Yasin Khan Azad, SHCBA President Abrar Hasan, Sindh Bar Council member Salahuddin Gandapur and Karachi Bar Association President Iftikhar Javed Kazi.
The SHCBA, meanwhile, resumed its token hunger strike and three of its members, Mohammad Iqbal Aqeel, Hashim Padhiar and Abdul Razzak Gujjar, observed the protest strike on Wednesday. An SHCBA general body meeting is scheduled for Thursday when lawyers will boycott court proceedings.
CASE AGAINST MQM: The Karachi Bar Association on Wednesday lodged a case at the City Courts police station against unidentified activists of the MQM accusing them of indiscriminate firing at a lawyers’ procession on May 12.
KBA General Secretary Naeem Qureshi called for legal action against leaders of the MQM, police officials concerned and the government of Sindh. He told police: “Lawyers in a procession were going to the Sindh High Court to participate in the golden jubilee celebrations that ‘miscreants’ of the MQM coming in vehicles with party flags opened fire from all sides and forced lawyers to take shelter in the nearby buildings and the KBA office.
“Lawyers were threatened to be burnt alive by sprinkling petrol on them,” he added.
The statement said that Sindh Bar Council member Noor Naz Agha was made hostage at gunpoint at a building in the Denso Hall and senior lawyer Mohammad Ali Abbasi was also made hostage. It added that the furniture of the ladies’ common room was also set ablaze and many lawyers, including, Shazia Mughal, Tabassum Naz, Syed Abbas Ali, Aftab Ahmed Gilgiti, were injured.
LAWYERS WARNED: Sindh Assembly members of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement on Wednesday said the party had repeatedly stated that the MQM had no clash with the lawyers but some lawyers associated with political parties were still speaking against MQM chief Altaf Hussein and the party.
Referring to lawyers’ press conference, the Haq Parast MPAs said the lawyers should keep it in mind that the MQM was the third largest political party of the country having millions of people in its folds.
