Lawyers go on strike after colleague jailed for misconduct

Protesters demand annulment of the sentence

RAWALPINDI: Lawyers observed strike on Saturday and boycotted court proceedings in protest against ruling of a judge to throw a lawyer in jail for misconduct in court.

Rawalpindi District Bar Association had given the strike call after Civil Judge Shagufta Sabir punished a lawyer, Khalid Mehmood, with two-month imprisonment and Rs1,000 fine for his misbehaviour after she dismissed a case.

During an emergency meeting of the bar held under the leadership of the High Court Bar Association President Mustafa Kandwal, Rawalpindi District Bar Association President Tanvir Sohail, Secretary Shahzad Mir, lawyers Tafiq Asif and Faisal Malik passed resolutions demanding suspension of the civil judge, transfer of the session judge and annulment of the sentence.

The lawyers said the courts would be locked down if their demands were not met.

The lawyers’ leaders said that they would be with the judiciary if they confronted the establishment while they would be with the lawyers if they confronted the judiciary. They demanded the civil judge should nullify the decision herself by Monday.

Noor Khan Airbase attack suspects indicted

The special anti-terrorism courts indicted the suspects in seven cases including Noor Khan Airbase attack, kidnapping for ransom, murder and terrorism.

The court also recorded statements of the witnesses and extended the remand of three suspects of fourth schedule case Iftikhar Farooqi, Ansar Mehmood and Osama for 7 days.

The court adjourned the hearing against three suspects of Noor Khan airbase including Rafaqat , Hasnain and Abdul Rasheed till April 20.

Separately, a session judge Islamabad awarded seven years sentence to an ASI with murder and other charges while the his accomplice police official, Abdul Hafeez, has been declared absconder.

The hearing of the case registered in 2015 presided over by Islamabad Sessions Judge Sohail Nasir.

The applicant’s counsel, Saifus Salam told the court that the ASI Ameer Sajjad and Policeman Abdul Haffeez arrested a youngster, Irfan, from Attock and murdered him inside the CIA building. He added the body of the victim was recovered from the same building.

Saifus Salam told the court that police also pressurized the doctor who performed post-mortem and he did not clarify the reason of death in his report.

The counsel also presented the call records before the court in which the ASI was allegedly demanding bribe from the victim’s family.

After hearing the arguments, the court punished the ASI with three-year imprisonment along with Rs50,000 fine according to section 344 while four-year rigorous imprisonment and Rs1,680,000 blood money according to the section 319. 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 14^th, 2019.