KARACHI: The legal fraternity and leaders of Save Indus River Movement on Sunday widely condemned police action against protesters staging sit-in on the National Highway in Guls h a n-iH a d e e d, Karachi, and at Gola Mor in Kandhkot district.

They urged Sindh police chief to take notice of the police action and order a departmental enquiry against the officials involved.

The Sindh Bar Council, along with the Karachi Bar Association (KBA), denounced the pohce action against the protesters on Sunday morning.

The legal community termed the police action an `illegal and unconstitutional act` against the `peaceful protest of lawyers against the construction of six canals on the Indus River.

They stated that during the action, Advocate Zeeshan Arain, a member of the managing committee of Malir Bar Association, sustained injuries. `This is a blatant violation of the fundamental rights guaranteed under theConstitution and a direct attack on the independence and dignity of the legal profession,` said SBC in a statement.

It demanded that the police chief should take `immediate notice, conduct impartial and departmental enquiry against the SSP Malir, SHOs of Steel Town, and Bin Qasim, and lodge the FIR against them for their illegal act.

Meanwhile, in a separate video statement, acting general secretary of the KBA said that he, along with office-bearers of the Malir Bar Association, went to the SSP`s office where an official refused to register FIR against the police officer involved in baton charge on protesters.

He vowed that no policeman would be allowed to enter the premises of the City Court on Monday, adding that the full-day strike would continue until their demands regarding the six canals were accepted.

Mr Aziz said that lawyers had successfully lodged an FIR against the duty officer and other police officials at the same police station, but they had since gone into hiding.

Lawyers at Babarloi slam police action Sindh Lawyers ActionCommittee held a meeting at Barbaloi bypass, Khairpur district, and decided to suspend Sindh Home Minister Zia Lanjar`s membership of Sindh Bar Council over the police crackdown on lawyers` sitins and registering cases against Sindh chief minister, Inspector General of Police, SSPs and SHOs concerned.

Talking to media persons at Barbaloi, KBA president Aamir Nawaz Warraich, Sarfraz Ahmed, Shafgat Rahim and others said that sit-ins would continue in all places including Babarloi.

He said that the sit-ins were not extended after the prime minister`s press conference, but unfortunately, police resorted to firing and shelling at Gola Mor, Kandhkot, last night, and useforce againstprotesters in Malir, Karachi.

He warned that if their FIR was not registered, they would file a petition under Section 22A. The decision to suspend the railway track would be made on May 2, he said.

`The doors of negotiations are still open, but they have zero tolerance regarding the notification of the canals,` he said.

He announced that if the Sindh government did notcancel the corporate farming project by May 2, they would hold a sit-in in front of Chief Minister`s House.

The home minister and the IGP should resign or face a movement against them, he said.

The High Court Bar Association, Larkana, condemned police attack fellow protesters at Kandhkot sit-in.

Zain Shah announces protests against police Sindh United Party president, Syed Zain Shah, who is also convener of the Save Indus River Movement, condemned the police action against protesting lawyers in Kandhkot and Malir, Karachi, announcing protests across the province on Monday.

In a statement, Mr Shah accused the PPP of `shameful and unforgivable` action against peaceful protesters across the province and alleged that the PPP had become face of antiSindh forces.

Mr Shah vowed that bullets would not break the resolve of the sons of the soil, nor shelling, baton charges would deter them from defending the Indus.

AWP moot sees plot behind police action Speakers at a conference organised by AwamiWorkers Party at local press club in Hyderabad accused rulers of hatching a conspiracy to turn peaceful protest against canals and corporate farming violent.

AWP leader Dr Bukhshal Thalu condemned use of violence by government and alleged that state wanted to convert peaceful resistance into violent.

AT president Vasand Thari accused PPP govern-ment of pushing peaceful movement towards violence to find an excuse for crushing it. If anything unpleasant happened then PPP government would be responsible for it, he said.

Jeay Sindh Mahaz chairman Abdul Khalig Junejo said that if government had taken extra constitutional steps then people were also not bound to respect constitutional limits.