Fida Hussnain
The Lahore Bar Association (LBA) on Friday banned entry of the police into the premises of the district judiciary as a protest against detention of senior lawyer and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Sher Afzal Marwat.
Rana Intezar, the President of Lahore District Bar, expressed strong condemnation in his statement regarding Sher Afzal Marwat’s arrest outside the Lahore High Court on Thursday.
In protest against the arrest of the lawyer, the bar decided to prohibit the entry of policemen into the lower courts.
Rana Intezar affirmed that the ban on police entry would persist until the release of Sher Afzal Marwat.
On other hand, Syed Ali Imran, the secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan (SCBAP) also strongly condemned the arrest of Advocate Sher Afzal Khan Marwat outside the premises of Lahore High Court under the grab of draconian 3rd and 16th Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law. He further stated that besides being an Advocate of the Supreme Court, Mr. Sher Afzal Khan Marwat is also a Member of this Association, hence this Association see his arrest with deep concern.
While terming his arrest, a stark violation of fundamental rights enshrined under Art. 4, 9, 10-A, 14, 15 & 16 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, he said that arrests made under MPO law not only undermines the aforesaid constitutional provisions but also sets a dangerous precedent for the erosion of the Rule of Law in Pakistan. In the end, he stated that we stand in solidarity with Mr. Sher Afzal Khan Marwat Advocate during this crucial moment and unequivocally demand his immediate release and further call upon the authorities to uphold the principles of justice and review the application of laws such as 16 MPO to prevent any further infringement on fundamental liberties.
