PHOTO: INP
ISLAMABAD: Islamabad Bar Council has suspended licences of lawyers who had attended the oath taking ceremony of three new judges Islamabad High Court (IHC) or appeared in any court to defy the strike call.
The Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHBCA) has also suspended the membership of these law practitioners for a month for defying the directives of the bar.
Lawyers in the federal capital observed complete strike against the Lahore incident and the suspension of the licence of Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) secretary.
IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah has suspended the licence of IHCBA Secretary Muhammad Umair Baloch and issued a contempt notice to him for barring the lawyers to attend hearings as a protest against PIC incident was going on on Thursday.
Hundreds of cases in Islamabad High Court (IHC) District Courts and Judicial Complex have been adjourned with proceeding.
Litigants who had come for hearing suffered another day lost.
Meanwhile, IHCBA president held a general body meeting over the issue of IHC registrar cancelling secretary’s licence. Lawyers greeted the Baloch with flowers when he came to attend the meeting.
Pakistan Bar Council Vice Chairman Amjad Khan has announced countrywide strike on December 19. While Islamabad Bar Council Vice Chairman Haroonur Rasheed has suspended the licenses of lawyers for one month, who attended the oath ceremony of the three new judges of IHC.
Lawyers in their separate address have raised concerns over the cases registered against the lawyers in Lahore and condemned the suspension of the license of IHCBA secretary, they also criticised the media.
Lawyers said they will not attend any hearing presided by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah. Moreover, Baloch will not appear before the court on the contempt notice and all lawyers will submit their affidavit in the court on the behalf of the bar secretary.
Show cause notice
Deputy Registrar of Islamabad High Court (IHC) Friday issued a show cause notice to General Secretary of the Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) Umair Baloch for interfering in the court proceedings and summoned him on December 19, in person.
The deputy registrar, in the notice, stated that the IHCBA general secretary had interfered in the court proceedings of IHC chief justice on Thursday and stopped the lawyers from appearance, and directed him to appear in person before that court and explain that as to why not contempt of court proceedings should be initiated against him for interrupting the proceedings.
The notice said that the action of Baloch had created hurdles in the provision of justice to the applicants whose cases were being heard.
The court also asked the IHCBA secretary general to submit a written reply within four days.
It may be mentioned that the IHCBA had observed strike on Thursday to protest the arrest of their colleagues, who had rampaged the Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore a day before. Umair Baloch interfered in the proceedings of the court of Chief Justice Athar Minallah.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 14th, 2019.
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