The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council (KPBC) has announced a province-wide lawyers' walkout for Monday, Oct 19, after declaring the imposition of governor's rule and emergency in the province unconstitutional and undemocratic. Leaders said lawyers would avoid appearing in cases that day.
What the bar council announced
KPBC Vice-Chairman Asfandyar Khan and Executive Committee Chairman Malik Imad Azam spoke after a general body meeting on Saturday. They said the legal fraternity would observe the strike across the province and stay away from court work. Mr Khan said the meeting condemned governor's rule and the emergency as an illegal step. Mr Azam likewise called both measures unconstitutional and undemocratic, and said representatives of lawyers' organisations attended the meeting.
The council said it would file a constitutional petition in the Peshawar High Court against the move. Mr Khan said a lawyers' panel had been formed so the court could hear that petition, along with other related petitions, on Oct 20. The body also decided to convene presidents of all district and tehsil bar associations in the province on Oct 24 to decide the next course of action.
Demands on detained leaders and lawyers
The KPBC demanded that Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, described by the council as dysfunctional, and Provincial Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati be produced before the court concerned or released. Mr Khan said that if either had committed a crime, they should be brought to court; otherwise they should be freed.
The council also condemned the alleged illegal detention of senior lawyer and Insaf Lawyers Forum leader Ameer Ijaz and demanded his immediate release. It said unidentified persons in Mardan had allegedly kidnapped him around a month earlier, that his whereabouts remained unknown, and that colleagues suspected law-enforcement agencies may have taken him away. Mr Khan said a committee had been formed to prevent harassment of lawyers and would raise the issue with the governor and the police chief. He asked police and other agencies to avoid illegal raids on lawyers' residences after the emergency. The KPBC executive committee chairman also asked the federal government to avoid adventurism in the province.
Timeline: what has happened so far
About a month before the Saturday meeting: Lawyer Ameer Ijaz was allegedly kidnapped in Mardan; his whereabouts were still unknown when the bar council spoke.
Saturday: The KPBC general body meeting declared governor's rule and the emergency unconstitutional, announced the Oct 19 strike, and formed a panel for a High Court petition.
Oct 19 (Monday): Province-wide bar council strike; lawyers to avoid appearing in cases.
Oct 20: The council expects its constitutional petition to be heard with other petitions on the matter.
Oct 24: Presidents of district and tehsil bar associations are to meet on the next steps against the emergency.
The immediate effect is a scheduled halt to lawyers' court appearances across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday, alongside planned litigation and further meetings later in the week.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ke bar council ne kaha hai ke Monday, 19 October ko poore soobe mein lawyers strike karenge. Yeh step governor rule aur emergency ke khilaf hai, jise woh ghair qanooni aur ghair jamhoori kehte hain. Is din kai cases mein lawyers court mein hazir nahi honge, is liye sunwaiyan ruk sakti hain. Bar council High Court mein challenge bhi file karne wali hai aur CM aur Speaker ko adalat mein pesh karne ya riha karne ki demand kar rahi hai.
