KARACHI: The Karachi Bar Association (KBA) boycotted legal proceedings on Monday in response to registration of a case against two lawyers at the City Courts police station for allegedly assaulting and abusing a traffic police officer.

Early in the morning, lawyers closed the gates of the City Courts and prevented litigators from entering the court complex. Consequently, prisoners from jails could not be transported to the courts for their hearings.

Following an intervention of the sessions judge (South), the lawyers eventually opened the gates for litigators. But due to the continuing boycott, hundreds of cases scheduled for hearing were deferred by the courts.

Meanwhile, a meeting was held to resolve the issue at the office of the sessions judge (South), attended by the sessions judges of East, West and Central as well as police officials, including Iqbal Dara (DIG Traffic), Ghulam Nabi Keerio (SP Traffic City), Tufail (DSP Legal), Amjad Shakir (SSP City District) and the newly-elected president of the KBA, Amir N

FIR registered for assaulting, abusing traffic police officer

In a press statement, the KBA said: “On some assurance and for the good gesture and in the interest of justice, the litigants have been allowed to enter the court premises.”

During the meeting, a committee led by KBA general secretary Ikhtiar Ali Channa, including association’s cabinet members and police officials was also formed. It is slated to convene for Jan 10 to address the matter further.

The earlier boycott of the legal proceedings by the lawyers was postponed until a further announcement.

Mr Warraich told Dawn that lawyers would boycott the legal proceedings, close the doors of the city courts and stage a protest on Tuesday at M.A. Jinnah Road if their demands, including the immediate withdrawal of the FIR, were not met.

The case was registered at the City Courts police station on the complaint of traffic police officer Yousuf Ali under sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 186 (obstructing public servant), 506 (intimidation), 504 (insult with intent to provoke), 337-A (cause to hurt any person), and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code against advocate Malik Nasir, advocate Rehman and unknown persons.

Referring to the incident in the FIR that occurred on Dec 8, 2023, it was mentioned that Yousuf Ali was busy in a challan campaign at Teen Hatti Chowk. He stopped a 13-to-14-year-old boy riding a motorcycle. He was fined and sent home while the motorcycle was impounded.

However, Mr Warraich denied these accusations, stating that an underage boy was legally detained by the police, and when his uncle advocate Nasir went to the police station, the staff misbehaved with him. Then he approached the sessions court (East) to file an application under Section 22/A of the Code of Criminal Procedure to register his case.

According to the FIR, Yousuf Ali appeared before the sessions court (East) on Jan 5. After the proceedings, the complainant claimed that advocates, Nasir and Rehman, and some unknown persons assaulted, manhandled and abused him, and torn his uniform.

Published in Dawn, January 9th, 2024