HYDERABAD: Without declaring an end to their boycott of court proceedings on Tuesday, the second day of the three-day campaign to press the government and security agencies recover kidnapped Barrister Awais Shah, the legal fraternity across Sindh celebrated his early morning safe recovery by distributing sweets among people at bar offices. It, however, announced that the protest would continue against worsening law and order situation in the province.

Barrister Shah, the son of Sindh High Court Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, was kidnapped in the Clifton area of Karachi on June 20 and was recovered in a coordinated operation carried out by the army, Rangers and intelligence agencies in the Tank area of Dera Ismail Khan in the early hours of Tuesday.There were jubilations at almost all courts across Sindh with lawyers exchanging greetings and presenting sweets to each other when courts opened for the day

In Hyderabad, lawyers attended the general body meeting of the local chapter of the High Court Bar Association (HCBA). Former advocate general Yusuf Leghari and Hyderabad HCBA general secretary Hameedullah Dahiri spoke at the meeting.

The Sindh Bar Council (SBC), which had given the call for the three-day protest, communicated to the HCBA that the protest programme would remain unchanged considering the fact that the law and order situation in Sindh was worsening.

The Sukkur chapter of the HBCA also held a gathering at the bar office on Tuesday to celebrate the safe return home of Barrister Shah.

Qurban Malano, Amanullah Malik, Mian Mumtaz Rabbani and other members of the bar spoke to the audience and expressed their pleasure over the happy end of the kidnap episode. They thanked the military leadership in taking keen interest in the matter and appreciated the great efforts put in by all security agencies.

They distributed sweets to celebrated the occasion.

Celebrations were also held at bar offices and courts in Mirpurkhas, Badin, Nawabshah, Naushahro Feroze, Larkana, Shikarpur, Khairpur, Sanghar, Jacobabad, Ghotki and other districts.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2016