PESHAWAR: The Peshawar Bar Association on Tuesday voiced concern about the installation of gates at entry points to the capital’s cantonment area and establishment of checkpoints and urged authorities not to turn it into a ‘no go area’ for people.

A meeting of the newly-elected cabinet of Peshawar Bar Association was held here under the chairmanship of its president Ashfaq Ahmad Khalil.

It was attended by other members including vice president Naveed Ali Shah, general secretary Iftikhar Hussain Samandar, joint secretary Bilal Khan Daudzai, finance secretary Syed Sikandar Iqbal Shah, press secretary Mohammad Luqman, and others.

The participants said there was no room for installation of gates on major roads as well as setting up of ‘illegal’ checkposts. They said the legal fraternity was the defender of the Constitution and would stand against all such ‘illegal acts’.

The meeting unanimously decided that if authorities didn’t stop the ‘unconstitutional’ practice, the lawyers would stage street protests for removal of those gates.

A day ago, the Peshawar High Court Bar Association expressed concern about the ‘targeted, disgraceful attitude’ of security personnel towards lawyers at various checkpoints in Peshawar’s cantonment area.

PHCBA president Rahmanullah Khan had said in a news release that lawyers were being denied entry to the cantonment area to reach the high court and the Judicial Complex despite the fact that they all cooperated with security personnel and showed their bar council cards.

He said senior members of the bar had expressed strong reservations about the installation of ‘illegal, unconstitutional and needless’ barriers and checkpoints on the main roads, especially near the provincial assembly building.

“These checkpoints are causing inconvenience to the public in general and lawyers in particular in enjoying their fundamental right of free movement and are inviting huge public annoyance and resentment,” he said.

Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2023