KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Wednesday put the advocate general, prosecutor general and deputy attorney general on notice, directing them to submit the response of the authorities concerned in a petition against the targeted killing of a senior lawyer belonging to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

Advocate Syed Ali Hasnain Shah Bukhari, killed in a targeted attack near his Korangi house in the morning, was a member of the MQM Legal Aid Committee. He was associated with the cases of missing persons on behalf of his party in the SHC.

Read: Senior lawyer shot dead in Karachi

The targeted killing of the lawyer sparked a strong protest by the legal fraternity, also prompting the SHC Bar Association to take up the matter with SHC Chief Justice Faisal Arab.

A delegation of the SHCBA called on the chief justice and presented a letter to him seeking action against the killers and compensation of Rs20 million for the victim lawyer’s family.

CJ Arab converted the SHCBA’s letter into a constitutional petition, instantly directing the federal and provincial law officers to submit the replies of the authorities concerned on the matter by March 10, when a division bench would take up the matter for initial hearing.

Seeking arrest of killers, still unidentified, the SHCBA informed the chief justice that Advocate Bukhari was brutally murdered when he was on his way to the SHC.

The lawyers’ body said that the targeted killing of the lawyer was an attempt to undermine the judicial system and independent legal community.

The SHCBA prayed to the chief justice to take notice of the incident and direct the authorities to bring the killers to justice.

It also pleaded to the CJ to direct the provincial government to pay Rs20 million compensation to legal heirs of the advocate.

Meanwhile, the legal fraternity boycotted courts in protest against the lawyer’s killing.

The Karachi and Malir bar associations gave the boycott call shortly after the killing of Advocate Bukhari.

The legal proceedings remained suspended at the city courts and Malir district courts as lawyers stayed away from courts and undertrial prisoners were also sent back to prisons soon after the boycott call.

Legal work at the special courts of the city, including antiterrorism courts, control of narcotic substances courts, accountability courts, anti-corruption courts and banking courts, was also disturbed as most of the lawyers did not turn up.

Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2015

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