SCBA condemns arrest of Salman Akram Raja, Latif Khosa

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Sunday strongly condemned the arrests of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders and lawyers Sardar Latif Khosa, Salman Akram Raja and others, ARY News reported.

According to a statement issued by the SCBA, President Shahzad Shaukat and Secretary Syed Ali Imran “vehemently denounced” the arrests of Sardar Latif Khosa, Salman Akram Raja, Mumtaz Mustafa, and numerous other lawyers while peacefully protesting against the alleged electoral malpractices in the recent general elections.

While demanding immediate release of all arrested lawyers, the President and the Secretary said that as senior Advocates of the Supreme Court and life Members of this Association, the arrests is viewed with grave concern. “All of them have always represented the highest standards in legal profession,” they commended.

Expressing his utter discontentment, the President stated that it is in common knowledge that SCBA have always advocated for upholding the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1973.

The SCBA President further lambasted that despite this association, on numerous occasions, have called upon the authorities to respect the legal and democratic rights of citizens, including lawyers.

“The recent trend of targeting and arresting members of the legal fraternity is alarming. It reflects a blatant disregard for constitutional rights, rampant lawlessness, and an abuse of power,” read the statement.

Furthermore, to address the escalating aggression against the legal community, the SCBA has decided to summon emergency meeting of its Executive Committee to chart out a course of action.

“Let no one be mistaken, SCBA reiterates its commitment to defending the rights of lawyers and upholding the fundamental rights, democratic principles, protection of human rights and rule of law,” the statement concluded.