KARACHI – Port city of Karachi witnessed significant unrest on Wednesday night as lawyers staged a protest against the Sindh government and police, blocking the busy Shahrah-e-Faisal. Demonstrators set tires on fire and halted traffic near the KTC flyover, while earlier in the evening, they obstructed Kala Pull Road.
The agitation stemmed by an alleged attack on the home of a senior advocate, with claims that local police refused to file a first information report (FIR) regarding the incident. In a video shared online, legal eagles accused individuals associated with a Sindh minister of using excessive force against the advocates and opening fire during the confrontation.
The situation has raised serious concerns about the safety of legal professionals in the region and the response of law enforcement agencies.
In a similar development, Lawyers’ leaders in Pakistan announced protest movement against 26th Constitutional Amendment, echoing the 2007 campaign for judges’ restoration. Hamid Khan group pushed that only Justice Mansoor Ali Shah should be recognized as chief justice after the current chief justice’s retirement on October 25. He urged the legal community to celebrate that date as a “day of deliverance.”
Former SCBA president Abid Zuberi criticized the amendment as unconstitutional and claimed that parliament is influenced by the establishment. The Karachi Bar Association condemned the amendment’s rushed passage and argued that it threatens judicial independence and access to justice. They demanded that the outgoing chief justice not participate in judicial appointments and pledged to monitor the situation to protect citizens’ rights.
