The Sindh Bar Council (SBC) has announced a province-wide strike of court proceedings on Friday (July 24) to protest the continued disappearance of Priya Kumari and several other missing children in Sindh, while also condemning the reported police action against peaceful protesters demanding their recovery.
In a condemnation statement issued on July 23, SBC Vice Chairman Barrister Ishtiaq Ahmed Memon and Acting Chairman of the Executive Committee Abdul Razzaque Mahar expressed grave concern over what they described as the persistent failure of the authorities to ensure the safe recovery of Priya Kumari and other missing children despite the passage of several years. The Council also criticized the authorities for their inability to address the issue effectively.
The Bar Council further condemned the reported late-night police action against participants of a peaceful sit-in at Babarloi Bypass, where demonstrators were protesting for the recovery of Priya Kumari and other missing children. According to the statement, several protesters, including women, were taken into custody without being produced before a competent court or being informed of any FIR or legal proceedings against them.
Demanding immediate action, the Sindh Bar Council called upon the Federal Government, the Government of Sindh, the Federal Minister for Law and Justice, the Inspector General of Police Sindh, and other relevant authorities to ensure the safe recovery of all missing children, disclose the whereabouts of the detained protesters, release those allegedly detained unlawfully, and initiate legal proceedings against those responsible. The Council urged all bar associations and members of the legal fraternity across Sindh to observe the court strike in solidarity with the affected families and in support of the rule of law, justice, and the protection of fundamental rights.
