January 12, 2008	Saturday	Muharram 02,1429

KARACHI, Jan 11: Strict security arrangements have been made for the oath-taking ceremony of the Karachi Bar Association’s newly-elected cabinet at City Courts following the Thursday’s suicide attack on lawyers’ rally outside the Lahore High Court.

In the wake of security concerns, all gates of the City Courts except the main entrance at Raja Riaz Shaheed Road (formerly Lewis Road) will remain closed on Saturday.

Rana Bhagwandas, former judge of the Supreme Court, Sabihuddin Ahmed, deposed chief justice of the Sindh High Court, Raza Rabbani, deposed judge of the Supreme Court, and all other judges who refused to take oath under the provisional constitution order have been invited to attend the ceremony.

KBA General Secretary Naeem Qureshi told Dawn that a fool-proof security plan had been finalised for the event. He said that a meeting of lawyers and law-enforcing agencies was held on Friday to review and finalise the plan. “DSP Syed Salman Shah, SHO of City Courts Police Station Shahzada Saleem Memon and officials of bomb disposal squad attended the meeting held in this connection at the KBA office,” he added.

He said that under-trial prisoners would not be brought to the City Courts where legal proceedings would remain suspended on Saturday. Letters in this respect had been sent to the authorities concerned, he added.

Mr Qureshi said that all those judges of the high court, who did not take oath under the PCO had been requested to attend the event. Besides, he said that envoys from the Muslim world and western countries, office-bearers of the Karachi Press Club and the Arts Council Karachi had also been invited on the occasion.

Saying that the government was not pleased with the ongoing struggle of lawyers, they apprehended that despite all arrangements there were possibilities of security lapses on the occasion. Talking to Dawn, SHO Memon said that a security plan had been prepared for the oath-taking ceremony of KBA. Additional force and security equipment had also been called to ensure maximum security on the occasion, he added.