Police term F-8 Kutchery chambers ‘security threat’
Lawyers warn of protests, building more chambers unless cases are withdrawn
Prime Minister Imran Khan while visiting PIMS. PHOTO: EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD:
Things for lawyers at the Sector F-8 Kutchery grew worse on Thursday after some of them were booked in another case while a letter written to a session judge, the police termed illegal chambers of lawyers a security threat.
On Thursday, the Margalla police, who have already booked six lawyers for building illegal structures on land owned by the Pakistan Post on an application filed by a postal department official, filed another first information report (FIR) against the lawyers.
Ali Raza Abidi's guard taken into custody as police launch investigation
The case was registered against lawyer Raja Hassan along with 14 other lawyers and Amir Hamza for illegally building chambers on state land in the kutchery and the adjoining government-owned football ground, and for ripping up metal pipes and corrugated tin sheets and caused damage.
Last week, some chambers of lawyers in the Sector F-8 Kutchery were torn down overnight. It prompted protests from the lawyers who also boycotted the courts.
They vowed to rebuild their chambers and immediately started construction.
On Sunday evening, they built some chambers in front of the post office in the district courts. Despite protestations from the post office’s staff that the land belonged to the state, the lawyers continued building their chambers. On Monday morning, employees of the post office demolished the chambers and threw the bricks on to the road, blocking it for traffic.
Later, a Pakistan Post official filed a complaint with the Margalla police against six lawyers for allegedly grabbing state land.
There are reports that even the judges of the district and session courts are unhappy with the attitude of lawyers. The lawyers, who have been boycotting the courts for the past week, have also declined to attend hearings of important cases which resulted in those cases stalling.
Security threat
The Islamabad Police, meanwhile, has written to a district and sessions judge, that the illegal chambers built by the lawyers in the kutchery had made it impossible to provide security to the district courts.
In the letter, the police stated that lawyers have encroached on the main entry points to the Sector F-8 Kutchery and want to bring in construction material to build their chambers.
Noting that the district courts have already suffered two devastating suicide bombings in the recent past, the construction of the illegal chambers would compromise the security of judges and litigants.
Hence, the police said that should an incident take place in the district courts, the responsibility for it would fall squarely on the lawyers.
Lahore police seize illegal weapons, arrest drugs peddlers
Lawyers meeting
The Islamabad Bar Association (IBA) called a general body meeting of its members on Thursday to review the situation.
Azad, meanwhile, demanded that the police withdraw the case filed against lawyers. He warned that unless the cases are withdrawn, they will build chambers all around the Kutchery and will stage a massive protest on January 1.
He added that the Supreme Court is due to hear their case of rotation in the first week of January.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 28th, 2018.
Things for lawyers at the Sector F-8 Kutchery grew worse on Thursday after some of them were booked in another case while a letter written to a session judge, the police termed illegal chambers of lawyers a security threat.
On Thursday, the Margalla police, who have already booked six lawyers for building illegal structures on land owned by the Pakistan Post on an application filed by a postal department official, filed another first information report (FIR) against the lawyers.
Ali Raza Abidi's guard taken into custody as police launch investigation
The case was registered against lawyer Raja Hassan along with 14 other lawyers and Amir Hamza for illegally building chambers on state land in the kutchery and the adjoining government-owned football ground, and for ripping up metal pipes and corrugated tin sheets and caused damage.
Last week, some chambers of lawyers in the Sector F-8 Kutchery were torn down overnight. It prompted protests from the lawyers who also boycotted the courts.
They vowed to rebuild their chambers and immediately started construction.
On Sunday evening, they built some chambers in front of the post office in the district courts. Despite protestations from the post office’s staff that the land belonged to the state, the lawyers continued building their chambers. On Monday morning, employees of the post office demolished the chambers and threw the bricks on to the road, blocking it for traffic.
Later, a Pakistan Post official filed a complaint with the Margalla police against six lawyers for allegedly grabbing state land.
There are reports that even the judges of the district and session courts are unhappy with the attitude of lawyers. The lawyers, who have been boycotting the courts for the past week, have also declined to attend hearings of important cases which resulted in those cases stalling.
Security threat
The Islamabad Police, meanwhile, has written to a district and sessions judge, that the illegal chambers built by the lawyers in the kutchery had made it impossible to provide security to the district courts.
In the letter, the police stated that lawyers have encroached on the main entry points to the Sector F-8 Kutchery and want to bring in construction material to build their chambers.
Noting that the district courts have already suffered two devastating suicide bombings in the recent past, the construction of the illegal chambers would compromise the security of judges and litigants.
Hence, the police said that should an incident take place in the district courts, the responsibility for it would fall squarely on the lawyers.
Lahore police seize illegal weapons, arrest drugs peddlers
Lawyers meeting
The Islamabad Bar Association (IBA) called a general body meeting of its members on Thursday to review the situation.
Azad, meanwhile, demanded that the police withdraw the case filed against lawyers. He warned that unless the cases are withdrawn, they will build chambers all around the Kutchery and will stage a massive protest on January 1.
He added that the Supreme Court is due to hear their case of rotation in the first week of January.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 28th, 2018.