SUKKUR, Feb 4: A meeting of the Sindh High Court Bar Association, Sukkur, held here on Monday unanimously demanded of the government to withdraw the amendment to the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).

It expressed grave concern on the recent amendment to the ATA which allowed the inclusion of an army official in the new anti-terrorism courts (ATCs).

The meeting was of the considered view that the establishment of new ATCs with the inclusion of army officers was against the spirit of the Constitution and the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court regarding the anti-terrorist courts in the Liaquat Hussain case.

It said that the establishment of new ATCs was in fact the re-establishment of military courts for trial of civilians, and it would jeopardize the credibility of these courts in the eyes of the world.

The meeting welcomed the opposition of the Chief Justices’ Committee to the establishment of new ATCs and said that after it, there was now no justification for the establishment of new ATCs.

The meeting unanimously called upon the government to withdraw the amendment and let the judiciary discharge its obligation independently without any interference from the army.

The meeting strongly condemned the police baton-charge on lawyers in Lahore and called upon the authorities to register a case against those police officials who had resorted to violence against the lawyers.

Three killed: Three people were killed and one person was kidnapped in an armed clash between the Mazari and Bugti tribes at the Chak Mughul village on Sunday night.

At least 50 armed Bugti tribesmen, who were in vehicles, raided the village and opened indiscriminate fire as a result of which Shahzad Mazari and Nabi Bux Mazari were killed on the spot.

The Mazaris retaliated as a result of which Bakshoo Bugti was killed on the spot.

Reliable sources told this correspondent that Bugti tribesmen had also fired rocket launchers on the village as a result of which some houses were damaged, and added that before fleeing towards Sui, Balochistan, they took away one Atta M. Mazari with them.

It may be recalled that 10 tribesmen have been killed and 21 have been kidnapped in the month-long dispute between the two tribes.

The police of the provinces of Sindh, Balochistan, and Punjab seem to be helpless as so far they have been unable to do anything about it.