KARACHI: The Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA) and Karachi Bar Association (KBA) on Sunday condemned the imposition of an emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by the federal government and announced a ‘black day’ on Monday (today).

In a statement, the SHCBA described the federal government’s move to impose emergency and governor’s rule in KP as “undemocratic” and announced that the legal fraternity would observe a ‘black day’ today in solidarity with the people of KP.

It said that “peaceful protest is a fundamental democratic right of every citizen and that no one should be deprived of this constitutional right”.

The SHCBA urged authorities to respect fundamental rights of the people and take all necessary measures to restore democracy in its “true spirit”.

In a separate statement, the KBA also announced suspension of work at City Courts from 11:30am on Monday.

It also called a general body meeting to deliberate on the imposition of an emergency and governor’s rule in the province.

The association urged all parties to respect the mandate of the people of KP and refrain from any action that could lead to political instability or undermine public confidence in democratic institutions.

The KBA stated that any extraordinary constitutional measure that undermines the elected government, provincial autonomy and the democratic mandate of the people must be approached with the utmost caution and subjected to strict constitutional scrutiny.

“The Constitution of Pakistan guarantees democratic governance, federalism and the fundamental rights of citizens. These principles must not be compromised for political expediency,” it added.

Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2026