RAWALPINDI - Like other parts of the country, the legal fraternity observed Black Day in the city on Saturday as a mark of protest and condemnation against the brutal massacre of media men, lawyers and civilians in Karachi by gunmen on the same day in 2007 during judges’ restoration movement.
The Black Day was observed on the call of Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA). The black coats hosted black flags on the buildings of district courts; remained stayed away from court proceedings; held meetings; passed resolutions and took out protest rally at Katchehri Chowk outside District Bar Association (DBA).
A meeting of District Bar Association (DBA) General Body was also convened under the chair of Sajid Ilyas Bhatti Advocate for paying tribute to the victims of May 12 tragic incident and express solidarity with their families.
Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) President Sheikh Ahsan-ul-Din Advocate, SCBA former vice president and prominent lawyer Chaudhry Ikram, LHCBA former vice president Sardar Muhammad Ishaq Khan advocate, former president DBA Haji Taufeeq Asif advocate, member Punjab Bar Council (PBC) Sana Ullah Advocate and many other senior and junior lawyers including female lawyers also attended the meeting. While addressing the meeting, the speakers vehemently denounced the butchery of innocent media men, lawyers and civilians at the hands of assailants in Karachi on May 12, when the then deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was detained at Jinnah International Airport in a bid to bar him addressing the lawyers.
They said that despite passage of 5 years not a single killer was arrested or traced that had exposed the incompetency and negligence of law enforcement agencies as well as the government.
Hitting PPP-led government very hard, the lawyers’ leaders alleged that those who involved in the killings of the innocent people were enjoying power with PPP-led government; made Karachi and its tenants as hostage and still shooting innocent people. But unfortunately, they said, government is taking no action against them.
Condemning the Zardari-Gilani duo’s continues defiance in a contempt case, the lawyers warned the government not to disobey the verdict of apex court or else the legal fraternity would repeat all that it did with a dictator former President General (Retd) Pervez Musharraf for his unconstitutional steps in the country.
“The end of Musharraf should also be in the eyes and mind of the big wigs of PPP as how he (Mush) is running from post to pillar to return Pakistan but he can’t. Zardari and Gilani should also fear from the coming time when they may be ouster from power and country because of disrespect they are showing to court verdict” the speakers added. They said that PM Gilani should tender his resignation from his office being a convicted person in a contempt case, otherwise the lawyers would agitate to implement the court verdict and for uphold of rule of law in the country.
They demanded of the government and the Supreme Court of Pakistan to speed up the process to unveil the faces behind the murders of innocent people in Karachi and to provide the justice of victim families. The participants of the meeting also offered Fateh for the departed souls of martyrs of May 12, 2007 carnage.  Later, a protest rally was also taken out from DBA to Katchehri Chowk. The protestors were holding black flags, placards and banners mentioning slogans in favour of May 12 martyrs and against the government. 
Meanwhile, DBA President Sajid Ilyas Bhatti informed that DBA would hold “All Pakistan Lawyers Convention” on May 19, 2012 to express solidarity with Supreme Court of Pakistan and to chalk out a strategy to tackle the ongoing worst situation of the country.