The Supreme Court Bar Association demanded the immediate release of PTI lawyers Sardar Latif Khosa, Barrister Salman Akram Raja, Mumtaz Mustafa and others who were arrested during a protest in Lahore against alleged rigging.

In a press release today, SCBA President Shahzad Shaukat and Secretary Syed Ali Imran termed the arrests a matter of grave concern, highlighting that all the lawyers have “always represented the highest standards in the legal profession”.

The statement highlighted that the SCBA always advocated for upholding the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution. It also cited the relevant articles of the Constitution which “guarantee the right to peaceful protest and assembly”.

SCBA urged the authorities to respect the legal and democratic rights of citizens including the law fraternity. “The recent trend of targeting and arresting members of the legal fraternity is alarming. It reflects a blatant disregard for constitutional rights, rampant lawlessness and abuse of power”.

The statement concluded that the SCBA has decided to summon an emergency meeting of its executive committee to chart a course of action.