Police detained five people on Saturday after clashes broke out at the Sindh Bar Convention in Sukkur to protest against the 27th Constitutional Amendment.
A group of lawyers at the convention, held at the Sukkur District Bar Association, started shouting slogans against President Asif Ali Zardari, while another group of lawyers started chanting slogans in favor of the president.
The disorder intensified with the participation of plainclothes individuals when a verbal altercation and scuffle broke out between them and the lawyers.
Meanwhile, some of the protesting lawyers allegedly detained five outsiders, who were dressed in civilian clothes and entered the lawyers’ convention, and began beating them. Lawyer KB Laghari said the five individuals were arrested and handed over to the police.
He asserted that “lawyers are brothers and no one can force us to fight.”
Laghari added that the president of the Sukkur District Bar Association, Qurban Ali Malano, felt unwell during the unrest and was taken to hospital due to his deteriorating condition.
PPP workers allegedly caused riots
The outsiders who caused the clash and disorder during the lawyers’ convention were said to be PPP workers.
The central figure in the conflict was reported to be Mairaj Gopang, a PPP Shaheed Benazir Division worker and People’s Students’ Federation (PSF) official.
According to lawyers, the unrest began when Karachi Bar Association General Secretary Rehman Korai mentioned the name of Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar during his speech.
Hearing this, the alleged PPP workers attacked the lawyers’ leaders, including Aamir Nawaz Waraich, Malano, Laghari, Haseeb Jamali and Shafqat Raheem, during the speech.
Although other attorneys present attempted to protect their leadership, the lead attorneys suffered minor injuries and were taken to the hospital.
The individuals then started chanting “Long live Bhutto” slogans as the police took them to the C Section police station.
Syed Zain Shah, president of the Sindh United Party and coordinator of the Save Sindh River Movement, strongly condemned the attack.
He asserted that this action was not only an attack on the legal fraternity but also a clear assault on the Constitution, the laws, democratic values and freedom of expression.
Lanjar realizes
Lanjar paid close attention to the incident. In a strongly worded statement, the Home Minister regretted the incident and termed the attack on the lawyers highly condemnable.
He stated that those involved in the assault would face strict legal action in accordance with the law.
Lanjar emphasized that lawyers are their own community, similar to a family, and urged the legal fraternity to avoid internal disputes and maintain unity and discipline.
The minister further said that the government would take all possible measures to ensure the safety and security of lawyers. The Minister of the Interior added that a full investigation had already been ordered and that responsibility would be determined after the investigation.
Lanjar said restoring a peaceful environment remains one of the top priorities of the government and all necessary measures are being taken in this regard.
