The Karachi Bar Association (KBA) on Wednesday announced that lawyers would hold a sit-in outside the Sindh police chief’s office over the non-registration of an FIR against the SHO of the Gulbahar police station over the alleged assault of their colleague.
On Tuesday the KBA had postponed the planned sit-in after, what it said in a statement, the police chief “expressed his intention” to visit the KBA committee room at the City Courts to discuss and resolve the issue.
Speaking at a press conference, KBA President Amir Nawaz Warraich and General Secretary Muhammad Arshad Shar condemned the alleged assault on Advocate Ishfaque Ahmed Buriro, a former member of the bar’s managing committee.
Shar said the SHO illegally confined and assaulted the lawyer at the Gulbahar police station. He claimed that the relevant DSP had also admitted that the SHO’s action was illegal, and had suggested that a case be registered against him.
Shar said the SSP had informed the bar that the SHO can be suspended and demoted but had refused to register an FIR against the officer, saying that he would not initiate criminal proceedings against his subordinate.
“The officer’s demotion is an internal departmental matter. Our demand is the registration of a criminal case,” Shar insisted. He condemned the “irresponsible attitude” of the police chief for not meeting the lawyers as committed.
Warraich said the meeting did not take place despite the intervention of the Sindh law minister, who had requested the bar to postpone their planned sit-in.
He added that the KBA agreed to postpone the protest and invited the police chief to the KBA office. “The meeting was scheduled for 11:30am, but even by 1:30pm he had not arrived.”
Warraich said lawyers have no desire to block roads but would continue their protest until an FIR is registered against the SHO. He announced that lawyers would gather at the KBA office at 10:30am on Thursday (today).
He said they would then proceed in the form of a rally to the IG office, where they would hold a sit-in from 11am. The protest will continue until their demand for the registration of a case is met, he added.
