KAMRAN KHAMISO KHOWAJA
SUJAWAL\ THATTA/ HYDERABAD: In a show of solidarity with Hyderabad lawyers, members of the District Bar Association Thatta and District Bar Association boycotted court proceedings on Friday. The boycott was a response to the alleged atrocities committed by SSP Hyderabad, Dr. Farukh Lanjar, and to express support for the members of DBA Hyderabad and Tandoallahiyar.
The controversy began on February 4 when Advocate Ali Raza Bozdar was booked in a case for allegedly trying to overtake the convoy of SSP Hyderabad during his visit. Lawyers from DBA Hyderabad and Tando Allahiyar protested by laying siege to the SSP office in Hyderabad. DIG Hyderabad, Tarque Darejo, promised to transfer SSP Hyderabad and announced plans to visit the Bar Room to address the grievances of lawyers. However, he reneged on his promise the next day, prompting lawyers to stage a sit-in on Super Highway Hyderabad.
In response to a call from the Sindh Bar Council members, lawyers from Sujawal Bar Association and Thatta Bar Association observed a full-day strike and took out a rally on the main routes of the city. President DBA Sujawal, Sajad Ali Khowaja, emphasized the nobility of the legal profession and demanded an end to the culture of “VIP Protocols.”
General Secretary of Sujawal, Aftab Ahmed Panhwar, reiterated the legal fraternity’s commitment to upholding the rule of law and warned against allowing Sindh to become a police state. He urged the Sindh Government to transfer SSP Hyderabad or face continued protests.
The Thatta Bar Association also joined the chorus, demanding the transfer of SSP Hyderabad and accusing Provincial Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar of protecting him.
Meanwhile, protests in Hyderabad entered their third day, with President High Court Bar Karachi, Barrister Sarfaraz Metlo, President KBA, Amir Nawaz Wairaich, Haseeb Jamali, Ayaz Latif Palijo, and others joining the demonstrations. The protesters demanded the quashing of the FIR against Ali Raza Bozdar and the transfer of SSP Hyderabad.
Expressing solidarity, the Lahore Bar Association and Baluchistan Bar Council issued a notification in support of Hyderabad lawyers. The boycott of court proceedings in Sujawal and Thatta is a significant development in the ongoing protests against SSP Hyderabad’s alleged atrocities.
