May 22, 2007	Tuesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 05, 1428

NAWABSHAH, May 21: Members of the District Bar Association have requested the District and Session Judge, Justice of Peace and Director Human Rights, to take legal action against the District Police Officer, A-Section SHO and other police officials and provide protection to them.

The general secretary of the DBA, Ziaul Hasan Lanjar has filed an application before the judge, stating that DPO Dr Ghulam Sarwar Jamali, the SHO and ASI Arshad Awan of the same police station were threatening the office-bearers and members of the bar association of involving them in false criminal cases.

He stated that the police had become furious after lawyers tried to lodge an FIR against the DPO and other police officials for trying to stop them from going to Karachi on May 12.

He further stated that ASI Arshad Awan and SHO Ghulam Nabi Kharal of A-Section police forcibly took away motorcycle of an advocate Rasool Bux and when he approached police, he was threatened that the motorcycle was required as case property in some murder case.

Mr Lanjar said that on May 16, the DPO issued threats to him that he would book him and DBA President Ali Mohammed Dahiri in false cases and would also implicate them in various pending investigations of criminal cases.

He said that further threats were also being issued that he and DBA president would be killed through managed encounters on the pretext of some ethnic or other clashes and would also implicate us in Karachi violence of May 12.

He apprehended that he and other office-bearers and members could be made victim of state terrorism at the hands of police so legal action may be taken against police officials and provide necessary security to them.

The application was transferred to the 2nd additional session judge who has issued notices to DPO of Nawabshah and others to appear in the court on May 28.

Meanwhile, members of the DBA completely boycotted the court proceedings against atrocities of the local police.

The hearing on the applications of advocates and police by the Judicial Magistrate-I, Nawabshah, was adjourned till June 4 due to boycott and was adjourned to June 4.