PESHAWAR/SWABI: The lawyers’ community observed complete strike on Thursday at the Peshawar High Court’s principal seat and attached nine districts against assassination attempt on Swabi-based senior lawyer Mohammad Ishfaq Khan.

The strike call was given by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council (KPBC).

Mr Ishfaq, who is also Razaar tehsil president of Awami National Party, was seriously injured when he was attacked by two unidentified motorcyclists near his hujra (guest house) on Monday.

The lawyers mostly stayed away from proceedings before different courts, including the high court.

KPBC vice-chairman Mohammad Ali Khan Jadoon, its executive committee chairman Mohammad Ilyas Khan and other members stated that so far the police had failed to arrest the culprits, which was a matter of concern for them.

In a press release issued here, they urged the PHC chief justice to order the provincial government for enhancing security measures on the premises of courts and to provide protection to lawyers.

In Swabi, no lawyer appeared in the courts on Thursday and the lawyers held meetings and discussed their next line of action.

District Bar Association president Mohammad Sagheer said that they discussed various options because the deadline given to police for arrest of the attackers expired on Thursday.

The lawyers demanded the district police to trace and arrest the attackers as soon as possible. They said they would decide their next course of action after Eidul Azha.

Also in the day, Awami National Party workers and people belonging to Kalu Khan area staged a protest demonstration against the assassination attempt on their party’s Razaar tehsil president Ishfaq Khan advocate.

The protesters blocked the Mardan-Swabi road to traffic while chanting slogans against the police.

They demanded that those involved in the incident should be traced and arrested immediately.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2022