LAHORE: The Punjab Bar Council on Wednesday announced that police would be barred from entering all 43 district and 170 tehsil bar associations across the province, following the killings of two lawyers, Muhammad Zeeshan Dhudhi of Vehari and Mehr Muhammad Munir Sadhana, former president of Jhang District Bar Association.
In an official statement, the Bar Council president said the ban would remain in effect until further notice. He urged authorities to register cases against the suspects under the Lawyers’ Protection Act, which provides specific safeguards for advocates and enhanced penalties for violence or intimidation against legal professionals.
Lawyers across Punjab have protested the continued delay in arrests despite repeated appeals to the Punjab Police and the Inspector General of Police. The council also called for a province-wide strike at district courts, asking courts not to issue adverse orders during the boycott, a legal term referring to decisions made in the absence of counsel.
A protest meeting was scheduled for 11:30am to demand swift arrests and stronger enforcement of legal protections for advocates. As part of the strike, police and investigation teams were barred from bar offices and court premises, leading to the suspension of hearings in thousands of cases. In Rawalpindi Division alone, 14,695 cases could not be heard at district and tehsil courts.
On Wednesday, Special Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Amjad Ali Shah arrived at the Rawalpindi District Bar to deliver a lecture on anti-terrorism laws without his police security team in compliance with the ban. “I left my entire police security team at the court and have come here alone. I do not feel any danger here. As a lawyer, I am also a member of the Punjab Bar Council, and I am proud of that,” he said.
Punjab Bar Council Vice Chairman Ashfaq Kahut and Executive Committee Chairperson Zubairullah Nagra described the killings as extremely brutal and demanded the immediate arrest of the suspects. “Peaceful protest is the constitutional and legal right of lawyers. Our protest will continue until the suspects are arrested and cases are registered under the Anti-Terrorism Act and the Lawyers’ Protection Act,” they said.
Lawyers marched through district courts chanting slogans such as “lawyers will not tolerate terrorism.” By 11am, all district and tehsil courts in Rawalpindi Division were empty, highlighting the full impact of the strike.
Rawalpindi District Bar President Sardar Manzar Bashir and Secretary Malik Asad Mahmood addressed the gathering, saying, “The black coat is our symbol of honour, and we will not allow it to be disrespected. We are lawyers first. The killers of the lawyers must be arrested. Until the arrests take place, the strike and protest will continue.”
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