ISLAMABAD: Lawyers on Monday marched from Supreme Court to Parliament House in protest of the attack on the Quetta Civil Hospital which killed at least 70 lawyers and injured many more.

The protest was organised by the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) and though a number of politicians and political leaders including Aitzaz Ahsan and Sirajul Haq also took part in the protest, lawyers did not let any political leader speak.

A total of seven lawyers from Balochistan were members of the PBC of which three were killed in the blast.

Of the remaining four members, two took part in the protest including Munir Kakar and Habib Buledi.

Addressing participants, Advocate Munir Kakar said that after the assassination of well known lawyer Bilal Anwar Kasi, some lawyers had reached the hospital to see that there were no police officials in the hospital and that there were no arrangements for security.

“After the recent bomb attack, there were no beds for the injured at the hospital and patients were treated while they lay on the floor. If the army chief had not provided a C-130 for transporting those who were injured, the death toll would have been higher,” he said.

Mr Kakar added that most of the families of those who were killed in the attack lived hand to mouth and received no help from the government.

“A number of those who were injured may never be able to work again because of their injuries. Lawyers have been wiped out in Quetta and it will take years to produce more lawyers,” he said,

President Balochistan High Court Bar Association Abdul Ghani Khilji said that though the prime minister had gone to Quetta, he had not visited the families of the victims.

“The prime minister just came for a photo session and went back without announcing any grant for the victims,” he said.

Advocate Ali Ahmed Kurd said that so many lawyers were killed and that there were no security measures in place is the responsibility of the Balochistan and federal governments.

Participants said that though the chief justice had taken suo motu notice of the kidnapping of the Sindh High Court’s chief justice’s son, he had not taken notice of the killing of so many lawyers.

They demanded that the families of those killed in the attack be given Rs10 million each and those who were injured be given Rs5 million each.

The protestors announced they will observe September 8 as a black day and that in the second phase, they will launch a campaign against the government.

A group of lawyers led by Advocate Kamran Murtaza did not participate in the protest.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2016