Judicial commission on May 12 killings sought

Report by Shafi Baloch

KARACHI - The lawyers on Wednesday demanded the formation of a judicial inquiry commission to probe the May 12 carnage so that the perpetrators of the violence might be brought to justice and awarded exemplary punishment.
The lawyers’ leaders expressed these notions while addressing general bodies organised by Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA) and Karachi Bar Association (KBA) on black day against 12 May, 2007 killings.SHCBA held a general body meeting, after offering Surah Fateha in the commemoration of late Parvez Akhtar Kiani Advocate in Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry Hall in the premises of high court, chaired by Rasheed A Rizvi, President of SHCBA.
Addressing the meeting, Rizvi presented a resolution that was passed by the participants unanimously. According to the resolution, it was responsibility of the government to protect lives and properties of the people of the country, but it had badly failed to do so.He said that two years had lapsed but no investigation was conducted. He further told that round 80 FIRs had been lodged, but establishment has taken no initiative in this regard.
Moreover, Karachi Bar Association (KBA) also organised a condolence reference for the late lawyer at Shuhda-e-Punjab Hall in the premises of City Court Karachi. The speakers urged the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take suo moto action against the carnage held on May 12, 2006.
All the slain, including Parvez Akhtar Kiani as well as other political workers, who were killed in 12 May carnage, were declared as “Shuhda-e-Azadi” (martyrs of freedom).
Mehmood-ul-Hassan, vice chairman of SBC, Mohammad Ali Abbasi President of KBA, Naeem Qureshi Secretary KBA, Saleem Zia Advocate of Muslim Lawyers Forum (MLF), Mohammad Hussain Mehnti Ameer Jamat-e-Islami Karachi chapter, Younus Barahi, Lahiq Ahmed and others also spoke.
The speakers demanded to reopen the 12 May case as SHC had taken suo moto action in this regard. KBA President Mohammad Ali Abbasi said that on 12 May, only those were killed who went out for the independent of judiciary.
Mohammad Hussain Mehnti of Jamat-e-Islami demanded of the government to conduct an impartial inquiry of the said incident that claimed more than fifty people including lawyers and political workers.Saleem Zia Advocate told that if the probe of the incident were conducted, nobody would dare to commit such action again.

The Nation: | Published: May 14, 2009