Lawyers say long adjournment may ease tensions

Say a later date for case will give bar and bench time to reach a solution to the matter

LAHORE: A long adjournment in contempt of court proceedings against LHCBA Multan president will decrease the friction between lawyers and the court, while giving the bar and bench time to resolve differences.

This was stated by bar representatives who said key members of bar associations had intervened after Monday’s incident which tarnished the image of both the court and lawyers. A senior lawyer said the chief justice had been requested to fix a later date so that a proper timeframe could be determined to solve the matter.



Some claimed that the situation would remain volatile till the time that LHCBA Multan President Sher Zaman was produced before the court. He added that it will set a bad precedent that a bar representative is being produced in contempt proceeding case.

On Tuesday morning, as the bench resumed proceedings, the Multan RPO appeared and asked for time to arrest LHCBA Multan President Sher Zaman Qureshi who had fled on a motorcycle when the police had arrived to take him into custody. The LHC CJ had earlier issued non-bailable arrest warrants against the senior lawyer in a contempt of court case.



The larger bench fixed September 8 as the next date. A number of lawyers assembled at the LHC and chanted slogans against CJ Syed Mansoor Ali Shah. Around five routes leading to the courtroom of CJ Shah were locked and barbed wires were installed around the walls and doors.

A heavy police contingent and rangers officials were seen around the courtroom of the CJ, while the rest manned all five routes leading to his chambers. Lawyers at the LHC and district court observed a complete strike and did not appear against the alleged aggression of police officials with lawyers.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Supreme Court Bar Association Secretary Aftab Bajwa said the matter should be resolved in chambers rather than taking it to the courts.

He said efforts were being made to resolve the matter and he remained optimistic that a solution would be reached by the next date. However, he denied commenting on the methods being used to bury the hatchet.

A reliable source said representatives of bar associations were adamant not to produce Sher Zaman before the larger bench to maintain his “dignity”.

The premises of the Lahore High Court and surrounding areas resembled a battlefield after scuffles erupted between lawyers and police officials on Monday. This was after the five-member bench issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Sher Zaman.

The larger bench, suspending the license of Zaman, had directed the Multan RPO to arrest him and produce the lawyer before the next date.

Lawyer groups started marching towards the courtroom of LHC Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and were met with resistance from police officials and Rangers. However, the lawyers broke an iron-grill gate inside the court premises and chanted slogans against the CJ.

On July 24, LHCBA Multan president Sher Zaman Qureshi, Syed Qaiser Abbas Kazmi and other lawyers had vandalised and ransacked the court of Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan in Multan. They also tore off a plaque with the judge’s name on it.

After the incident, the chief justice withdrew the judges from the Multan Bench of the Lahore High Court by exercising his constitutional powers.

Later, a committee comprising Justice Muhammad Yawar Ali and Justice Ali Akbar Qureshi was formed to provide an opportunity to the bar association to resolve the matter. The LHC registrar office also wrote letters to the Pakistan Bar Council and Punjab Bar Council for a resolution to the dispute. However, nobody came forward to resolve the issue.

Subsequently, a five-member bench comprising LHC Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Muhammad Anwarul Haq, Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti and Justice Shams Mahmood Mirza started contempt of court proceedings against the hooliganism of the LHCBA Multan president.

On August 2, a group of young lawyers barged into LHC CJ Syed Mansoor Ali Shah’s courtroom and created a hostile situation for the bench holding contempt of court proceedings.

In previous the hearing, the bench, headed by the chief justice, withdrew warrants for lawyers accused of contempt after LHCBA Lahore president Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali and other senior bar members assured that Qureshi and Kazmi would appear in court.

However, the two lawyers facing contempt of court charges did not appear in court on August 2.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 23^rd, 2017.