A continuing protest by lawyers in Hyderabad has severely disrupted traffic on major routes, causing a complete halt to movement along the key Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway and National Highway. The demonstration, which started at Wadhu Wah Gate on the Hyderabad Bypass, has left vehicles stranded in long queues, affecting not only daily commuters but also long-distance travelers heading to Karachi, Punjab, and rural Sindh.
The protest was sparked by a legal dispute following the registration of a case against Ali Raza Advocate for having a fancy number plate and tinted windows. The lawyer community has since demanded the transfer of SSP Hyderabad Farukh Lanjar and the dismissal of the SHO of Bhittai Nagar police station. They also seek the withdrawal of a fraud case lodged against the lawyers, accusing the police of retaliation.
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As tensions rise, the protest has led to major traffic delays, causing significant inconvenience to passengers. The Sindh High Court Bar Association’s president, Advocate Ayaz Hussain Tunio, has warned that if the demands of the lawyers are not met, the protest could spread across the country, recalling past nationwide movements by the legal community. Senior lawyers like Advocate K B Lutf Ali Laghari have even compared this situation to the 2007 movement for the restoration of former Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.
The police, however, have maintained that the FIR against Ali Raza Advocate is part of a broader crackdown on vehicles with fancy number plates, tinted windows, and unauthorized police lights. They have proposed a judicial inquiry into the matter, supervised by the District Session Judge of Hyderabad. Despite these efforts, the protest continues, with both sides standing firm on their demands.
As the deadlock persists, the protest remains a source of growing concern, impacting thousands of commuters and travelers while further deepening the standoff between the legal fraternity and law enforcement authorities.
