Bar associations to boycott court proceedings on May 9

The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) and the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), along with the Karachi Bar Association, have strongly condemned the recent violence targeting lawyers in Lahore and have announced a nationwide strike scheduled for Thursday, May 9.

SCBA President Shahzad Shaukat labeled the actions of the lawyers as 'terrorism' and expressed bewilderment at the response of the Chief Justice (CJ) of the Lahore High Court (LHC).

In a joint press conference, Vice Chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council, Riazat Ali, and the President of the Supreme Court Bar Association reiterated their condemnation of the violence and announced plans for lawyers across the country to gather in Lahore for protests.

Riazat Ali emphasized that the legal fraternity has called for a full-day strike nationwide on Thursday and urged the Chief Justice of the LHC to seek an amicable resolution to the situation.

Meanwhile, Secretary of the Supreme Court SCBA, Ali Imran Shah, highlighted instances of lawyers being injured due to police violence, including Hasan Bhawan, and Karachi Bar Association announced a complete boycott of court proceedings on May 9 in solidarity with the affected lawyers in Lahore.

The tension reached a boiling point outside the Lahore High Court as members of the Lahore Bar Association protested against the proposed division of civil courts and the filing of terrorism cases against lawyers. The protest turned violent when attempts were made to enter the high court premises, leading to clashes between lawyers and law enforcement. Police responded with tear gas and baton charges, sparking further unrest as lawyers retaliated by throwing stones.