KARACHI: Lawyers vow to file case against army: Lal Masjid operation
By A Reporter
KARACHI, July 14: In what is believed to be an unprecedented move, lawyers vow to file a case against the government and the army in the Supreme Court of Pakistan for the killing of innocent people in the Lal Masjid complex.
This was announced by lawyers who stayed away from the court proceedings during the one-hour boycott against the suspension of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Karachi Bar Association held its general body meeting which was addressed among other lawyers by Sindh Bar Council members Mustafa Lakhani, Salahuddin Khan Gandapur and Mehmood-ul-Hassan.
Criticising the government for the killing of innocent people in the mosque, the lawyers pledged to fight for the provision of compensation to their heirs under the Fatal Accident Act.
Military operation
Mustafa Lakhani termed the military operation an anti-Muslim operation and said the government launched it to appease its foreign masters and sabotage the lawyers’ movement.
He said the lawyers would not sit idle silent as several innocent lives had been lost in the operation. The government was bound to disclose the factual position and pay compensation to the heirs under the Fatal Accident Act. He said the sufferers would be given free legal aid.
Missing people
He criticised the government for its failure to disclose the whereabouts of several male and female students. There were many parents who failed to trace the bodies three days after the operation was completed, he said, adding that the government must disclose the factual position to avoid the spread of misinformation and rumours.
The Sindh Bar Council member said the lawyers deserved appreciation for maintaining unity in their ranks and following the decisions of their respective bar associations during the movement started four months back against the suspension of chief justice.
Optimistic about the reinstatement of the chief justice, he said the lawyers would have to wait for another week for the judgment.
