Karachi Lawyers News

Khalid Mumtaz General Secretary KBA Mehmoodul Hassan advocate has been elected as the president of the Karachi Bar Association (KBA), as per unofficial results. Polling for the bar elections- 2012 took place on Saturday in which 5,633 registered lawyers cast their votes. Mehmoodul Hassan and Salahuddin Gandapur were vying for the slot of president. According to unofficial results, Nasir Mehmood was elected vice-president, Khalid Mumtaz general secretary, Shazia Manzoor joint secretary, Naeem Memon treasurer and Shazia Latif as librarian.(DN Report)

The long-drawn issue regarding the functioning of NGOs’ offices at the court and jail premises has finally be resolved and subsequently the lawyers ended their weekly strike after the government-formed committee informed them that they had shifted their offices to Gulistan-e-Jauher area. The committee headed by Faroughe Naseem met the Karachi Bar Association’s office-bearers and formally announced that the NGOs have virtually stopped their legal aid operation at the jail premises and shifted their offices in Gulistan-e-Jauher. President KBA Mohammed Aqil and General Secretary Haider Imam Rizvi told the media on Friday that the NGOs offices in jails have formally been closed down.  The committee also told them the process of collecting data would be completed within days following which these offices would be handed over to the Sindh government. All the NGOs’ offices situated within the jail premises, including Special Prison for Women, Juvenile, Central Prison Karachi and Landhi

In the continuing acts of violence, 11 more people were killed including two advocates in the provincial metropolis in separate incidents and target killings here on Friday. According to details, two advocates were shot dead near FTC Bridge Sharah-i- Faisal Road within the limits of Brigade police station. The incident took place near FTC bridge where Advocate Muhammad Saleem Bhatti and Advocate Faheem Riaz were going on a car bearing registration No Z-9053, when unidentified armed men opened indiscriminate firing on them. As a result both received bullets on their faces and died on the spot. The car also knocked down a cyclist namely Nouman. After getting the information, heavy contingents of police rushed to the spot and shifted the bodies to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) for autopsy. The doctors said they received bullets on their faces. SHO Akhtar Abbas said police recovered empty shells of 9 MM pistol from the spot. President of Karachi Bar Association Muham

Co-ordination Committee of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) has strongly condemned the murder of noted lawyer Mumtaz Bukhari Advocate and termed the dreadful incident as an attempt to destroy peace of the city. The committee said that the enemies of peace were doggedly after the peace of the city and the murder of Mumtaz Bukhari Advocate is also a vicious attempt to create sectarian tension in the city. The Co-ordination Committee extended its condolences to the bereaved family members of Mumtaz Bukhari Advocate and expressed sympathy and solidarity with the millat-e-jafriah. The committee demanded of the government to take notice of the killing of Mumtaz Bukhari Advocate and said that the killers should be arrested immediately. The committee also prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul. The committee also appealed to millat-e-jafriah to defeat the wicked conspiracy to create disturbance in the city by showing patience and forbearance.

The legal fraternity boycotted court proceedings on a second consecutive day on Wednesday against what they said was the illegal establishment of offices of NGOs in prisons. The Karachi Bar Association ahs threatened to boycott legal proceedings unless the offices of NGOs are removed from jail premises within one week. “The boycott is part of the protest lodged by the KBA on Tuesday and will continue till our demands our accepted”, KBA General Secretary confirmed this while talking to The News. Work at the city courts remained suspended and the lawyers did not attend proceedings. The judges remained in their chambers as even under-trial prisoners were also not brought in from the Central Prison. There was a complete shutdown and the offices of stamp vendors and oath-commissioners were also closed, while he court premises wore a deserted look. On Tuesday, the two offices of NGOs situated within the courts premises were removed by lawyers, which was also intimated to Distric

The premises of the city and Malir courts wore a deserted look and fear loomed large on Tuesday as recently, two advocates were gunned down, bringing the total to six this year. The Karachi Bar Association has given a call for complete strike and boycott of courts proceedings in protest against the killing of a lawyer who was also a senior worker of the Pakistan People’s Party. The lawyers are already in a state of protest since May due to killings of many lawyers in the current year and observing black days, boycott of courts proceedings, and strikes. Zia Alam, a senior lawyer and a PPP activist of district West, was shot dead in North Nazimabad Monday evening. The legal fraternity expressing their shock and anger, demanded of the government to pay Rs 3 million each to the deceaseds’ families and Rs1 million to the injured lawyers. The demand was made at a general body meeting held at Shuhada-e-Punjab Hall in connection with the killing of Zia Alam. Another general body meeting

President of Supreme Court Bar Association Ms Asma Jahangir says on call of Pakistan Bar Council legal fraternity will observe countrywide black day and complete strike on May 23, 2011 to protest against growing targeted killings of members of legal fraternity. Speaking at Meet the Press program at Karachi Press Club, she said all bar associations will observe black day, black flags hoisted, lawyers completely boycott courts proceedings and stage protest demonstrations. General body meetings will be held to chalk out future course of action. She stated targeted killings of lawyers and citizens by criminals or law enforcers were on rise in all provinces. “The mechanism to protect human rights exists no where in country. People are begging for justice.” The incidents of lawyers kidnapping of lawyers has become routine and no action is being taken, rarely culprits are arrested, but they also go scot-free due to state machinery’s inefficiency, she stated. She said growing VVIP security

Four people, including two brothers, were killed amid the incidents of violence in Karachi on Saturday. According to police, unidentified men shot at a car in Musharraf Colony that killed two brothers Nazir Abbas and Altaf Hussain. Police sent their dead bodies to Karachi Civil Hospital for autopsy. Both brothers were lawyers, killed in firing by unidentified gunmen. Following the incident, the lawyers protested and boycotted routine activities in the City Courts. Police told the media that the slain brothers belonged to Chakwal and had been living in Karachi for last several years. They had no enmity with anyone, told their brother. Slain lawyer Altaf Hussain was a former member of the Karachi Bar Association. The members of the Karachi Bar Association’s governing body protested and boycotted routine activities in the City Courts and demanded quick action against the killers.(Pakistan Observer)

Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has said the executive does not feel happy at times that the judiciary works independently and justly, but the fair and impartial dispensation of justice is imperative for the country to march ahead on the path of economic growth, through establishing peace in society and ensuring the security of investment, commerce and trade. Addressing the oath-taking ceremony of the Karachi Bar Association at the Sindh High Court lawns on Saturday, he said the judiciary could not be held responsible for delay in cases as enormous amount of pendency in courts and lack of cooperation of state institutions also caused delays. For this, he said these institutions reportedly accommodated influences and there were also complaints of nepotism and corruption. “If revenue and police departments perform their functions according to the law, many problems could be resolved without approaching the courts,” he added. Chief Justice Iftikhar said any system other than of

Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry will administer the oath for the newly elected members of the Karachi Bar Association (KBA) at the Sindh High Court lawn on Saturday, announced KBA president Advocate Muhammad Aqil at a press conference on Thursday. Aqil said that all lower and high court judges have been invited to the ceremony along with representatives of all 33 Sindh bars and seven members of the Pakistan Bar Association. KBA general secretary Syed Haider Imam Rizvi said that a committee of the chief of police, DG Rangers, DIG Special branch and the high court registrar will be in charge of security. The ceremony will be kept short as a result of security concerns and other reasons, he added. “We want to strengthen the unity among us, provide stability to freedom of judiciary, maintain the freedom and give it more strength,” said Aqil. He also thanked the SHC Chief Justice Mushir Alam for allowing the ceremony to be held at the high court and encouraging them. Speaking of vi