THERE is no doubt that the signs were there all along. The tragic loss of life in Daska was the unavoidable culmination of smaller confrontations between the police and the lawyers over the last many years.

It was only a matter of time before the skirmishes would give way to something far uglier. In fact, the protest that finds the lawyers back on the streets in large numbers will take many days and much effort to be controlled.

The killing of two lawyers in a Punjab town that is generally not so much in the picture otherwise has led to an angry response from lawyers in the province and other parts of the country.

Also read: Lawyers up in arms against police

In Punjab, the bar association called for a three-day strike, and there are groups within the lawyers’ ranks who are ready to opt for a prolonged protest.

Perhaps one casualty of this situation is the debate on professional ethics, on drawing a distinction between coercion and asking for rights.

Unfortunate happenings such as the fatal shooting of two lawyers threaten to make the conversation even more one-sided.

For the government, this incident has come too soon after a joint investigation team report on last year’s killing by police in Lahore’s Model Town.

The government of Shahbaz Sharif has come under severe criticism over the JIT report that puts down the 14 deaths outside the PAT headquarters to simply a policeman’s folly.

Whereas many have termed it the most pertinent example of a rotten system, this time too the administration has stuck to its standard first reaction to a bad occurrence, pinning the blame on a policeman who could not handle the authority vested in him.

The SHO in question is alleged to have ordered the firing on the lawyers resulting in the two deaths, including that of the local bar president who happened to be a member of the PTI.

There are stories in the media that indicate the policeman was not quite in control of his temper, something which will ultimately lead to questions of why and how those who employed him were unaware of this.

Regardless of whether or not the immediate official explanation is accepted, the killing of the two lawyers at the hands of the police on Monday is fresh evidence of just how vulnerable the system has become to abuse by a single individual or to excesses by a group.

That is where the whole political debate is concentrated: the system — or rather the absence of it. There seem to be no bigger villains than the police to portray just how pervasive the rot is. Meanwhile, there are no bigger pleaders for change than lawyers — especially those who not too long ago helped to put in place an independent judiciary.

There are immense possibilities in the confrontation that change-seekers would want to exploit.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2015

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