KARACHI: Lawyers on Saturday boycotted legal proceedings at the City Courts in protest over a Rangers’ raid on the house of senior lawyer Qadir Khan and “abduction” of his son, who was later shown arrested by police but discharged by a court in a drugs case.

The lawyers did not turn up before judges to plead their cases fixed for the day. Subsequently, a large number of the cases were simply adjourned while the litigants faced a great deal of difficulties.

In a statement, Karachi Bar Association (KBA) general secretary Naeem Memon said the legal fraternity did not attend court proceedings over this incident.

Advocate Qadir Khan’s house was raided and his son, Asad Khan, was taken into custody by Rangers on Jan 6, he said.

Advocate Khan has been representing several members of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), including MNA Ali Wazir, in criminal cases being tried by antiterrorism courts in Karachi.

Later, the Brigade police produced the son of Advocate Khan before Judicial Magistrate Wazir Memon for his remand in a drugs case.

The investigating officer claimed that around 24 grams of heroin was recovered from his possession.

However, a number of the lawyers reached the court and opposed the IO’s request for remand, arguing that he was booked in a false case.

After hearing arguments from both sides, the magistrate discharged the suspect from the case under Section 63 (Discharge of person apprehended) of the criminal procedure code.

Dawn tried to contact a spokesperson for the Rangers for his version but in vain.

Published in Dawn, January 9th, 2022