KARACHI: The Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA), observed a ‘Black day’ on 12th May, 2026 to commemorate the martyrs of the horrific and barbaric events of 12th May 2007, as one of the darkest and bloodiest chapters in the constitutional and political history of Pakistan.
On this tragic day, innocent civilians, political workers, journalists, and members of the legal fraternity were brutally targeted, attacked, and massacred in broad daylight by armed terrorists and violent elements patronised by the then military Dictator General Pervez Musharraf.
More than 50 innocent people lost their lives, while hundreds had sustained serious injuries during the carnage that unfolded across Karachi, merely to obstruct the struggle for an independent judiciary, supremacy of the Constitution, and restoration of democracy.
The events of 12th May 2007 were not only an assault on human lives but also a direct assault on the rule of law, independence of judiciary, democratic values, and fundamental rights of the people of Pakistan guaranteed under the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973.
The blood of the martyrs of 12th May continues to remind the nation of the heavy price paid by lawyers and civil society in the historic movement for judicial independence.
The Sindh High Court Bar Association strongly condemned the barbaric violence, political terrorism, and state-sponsored repression unleashed on that day and expressed grave concern that despite the passage of years, the perpetrators, planners, facilitators, and abettors of this heinous tragedy have not been brought to justice. The continued silence and failure to ensure (accountability remain a stain on the conscience of the State and a serious challenge to the rule of law.
The SHCBA reiterates that the legal fraternity shall never forget the sacrifices rendered by the martyrs of 12th May and shall continue its unwavering struggle for supremacy of the Constitution, independence of judiciary, democracy, and protection of fundamental rights.
To mark the day, lawyers across Sindh wear black armbands, hold protest meetings, and observe Black Day as a symbol of mourning, resistance, and solidarity with the martyrs of the Lawyers’ Movement.
The Sindh High Court Bar Association demands: immediate and transparent accountability of all those responsible for the 12th May 2007 massacre;
Recognition of the sacrifices of the martyrs of the Lawyers’ Movement; Protection of democratic institutions and constitutional freedoms; an end to political violence, state repression in all forms and release of all political provisions.
The SHCBA pays rich tribute to all those who sacrificed their lives in the struggle for justice, democracy, and judicial independence and reaffirms that their sacrifices shall never go in vain.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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