PESHAWAR: The lawyers on Thursday urged the federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments to abolish military check posts in the province and withdraw cases registered against peaceful protesters in Swat.

In an emergency meeting chaired by its president, Arbab Usman Khan, the Peshawar High Court Bar Association unanimously passed a resolution demanding of the Supreme Court chief justice to take a suo moto notice of a large number of checkpoints in the province, which, it said, had become a source of humiliation and torture for the people.

It decided to file a constitutional petition in the Supreme Court of Pakistan against these check posts as these were in violation of different constitutional provisions guaranteeing freedom of movement.

The association condemned the registration of FIRs in Swat by the police against the people peacefully protesting against military check posts, and demanded the immediate release of the detained protesters.

Call for withdrawal of cases against peaceful protesters

It decided to convene a national convention wherein lawyer leaders and representatives of political parties will be invited on the issue.

Arbab Usman said issue could be taken to the court of law as well as political parties for resolution.

He urged protesters not to target security agencies on the issue.

Another speaker, Ayaz Khan, said the lawyers condemned the registration of FIRs against peaceful protesters and that it was an injustice to register sedition cases against them.

He said besides deciding political cases, the Supreme Court should also pay heed to such issues of public interest.

Former PHCBA president Essa Khan regretted that humiliating and disgracing citizens by security personnel at check posts had become order of the day.

He praised Supreme Court judge Dost Mohammad Khan for taking notice of the matter during his stint as the former PHC chief justice but complained that the matter was ignored by the judges afterwards.

Mr Essa said even the members of the KP Assembly didn’t have the courage to ask the security personnel posted to check posts why they’re stopped frequently.

President of the Peshawar District Bar Association Fazle Wahid said the Swat-like situation persisted in Peshawar too.

He suggested that the KP Bar Council convene a meeting to decide action on the matter.

Lawyers Rahim Shah and Khanzada said military check posts at public places were not acceptable to them, while Yasir Khattak, Shahabuddin Khattak and Wali Khan Afridi said the booking of people for sedition and waging of war against the state was shameful.

Mian Sibghatullah Shah said the Supreme Court had approved the setting up of military courts and thus, deteriorating the situation.

He added that instead of civil courts, the military courts would decide such issues.

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2018