Lawyers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will boycott proceedings of all provincial courts today (Tuesday) to protest the suicide bombing of the Judicial Complex, Peshawar. Also in the day, clerks of the capital city’s courts will boycott duty against the terrorist attack.

According to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council Vice Chairman Abdul Lateef Afridi, lawyers will not take part in the proceedings of the courts across the province today (Monday). He said in a statement issued here that the Punjab Bar Council vice chairman had also announced the boycott of courts by lawyers today (Tuesday) to express solidarity with the lawyers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the Judicial Complex, Peshawar bombing.

A statement issued by All Pakistan Clerks Association, Peshawar chapter said members of the association would mourn the terrorist attack and boycott courts for three days. Meanwhile, Pakistan Bar Council, Peshawar Bar Association and Peshawar High Court Bar Council condemned the bombing in separate statements.

Also in the day, Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Dost Mohammad Khan ordered the arrest of the people involved in the Judicial Complex attack. He issued the orders to police during a visit to the complex. The CJ condemned the attack and said litigants came to the complex from faraway places of the province for justice and unfortunately, terrorists had targeted them unreasonably.

He said there was a possibility of the involvement of some external elements in the attack. The CJ said the bombing would not affect judicial process and the courts would continue functioning for providing justice to the people.

“The courts cannot be stopped from dispensing justice to the people,” he said.

He said he didn’t want to blame anyone for the terrorist attack and that all available resources would be used for arresting those behind it. Later, the CJ along with judicial officers visited Lady Reading Hospital and inquired after the people, who suffered injures in the bombing.

Dawn