KARACHI, April 9 Lawyers at the Sindh High Court, the city courts and the Malir district courts observed a 'black day' on Friday to observe the second anniversary of the April 9, 2008 tragic incidents.

The representative associations of the lawyers held meetings to remember their slain fellows — Altaf Abbasi and Shehryar Sheri — who were killed exactly two years ago. Mr Abbasi was burnt alive along with his clients in his Tahir Plaza office while Mr Sheri was shot dead on M. A. Jinnah Road.

Law Minister Ayaz Soomro, who is the chairman of the Sindh Bar Council, and the president of the Karachi Bar Association (KBA), Mahmoodul Hasan, who is also the vice-chairman of the SBC, had separately announced that the legal fraternity would observe a 'black day' across the province on Friday in protest against the killings of the lawyers on April 9, 2008.

The managing committee of the Sindh High Court Bar Association held a meeting on Friday and unanimously passed a resolution paying tributes to the slain lawyers for their sacrifices for the independence of judiciary.

The Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA) also prayed for the lawyers killed on the fateful day.

Boycott of proceedings

Lawyers at the city courts and the Malir district courts also boycotted case proceedings to observe the black day. They paid glowing tribute to the slain lawyers and urged the government to expose the culprits behind the heinous crimes and bring them to justice.

The courts wore a deserted look and only a small number of undertrial prisoners were brought to the city courts lockup. However, they were taken back to the prisons without being produced in courts due to lawyers' strike.

Meanwhile, a general body meeting of the KBA was held at the Shuhada-i-Punjab Hall of the city courts to pay homage to the slain lawyers.

Speaking at the meeting, the lawyers' representatives criticised the government for what they called “its reluctance to expose those behind the tragic incidents”.

They also urged the government to immediately arrest the culprits of the May 12 and April 9 mayhems, the Ashura blasts and the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.

They were of the view that some people in the Pakistan People's Party-led coalition government were not ready to tolerate an independent judiciary in the country. However, the lawyers made it clear that they would protect the independence of judiciary at any cost.

The Malir Bar Association also held its general body meeting to remember victims of the April 9, 2008 tragedy.