PHOTO: FILE
The petition was referred to the CJ on the request of the High Court Bar President Hafeezur Rehman Chaudhary.
A division bench of the Lahore High Court led by Justice Najafi heard three different petitions including a petition filed by the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) seeking the release of the lawyers detained by the police, as well as requesting a restraining order against further arrests, torture and harassment for allegedly attacking PIC.
Lawyers also chanted slogans to show solidarity with those arrested by the police outside the courtroom.
In an earlier hearing held on December 13, Justice Najafi had questioned the lawyers, “How dare you people attack a hospital? Can you give even a single explanation?”
The justice had further remarked, “There are black sheep in your profession. It is regrettable that you people are giving explanations on this gory incident. You had planned it in the Lahore Bar Association (LBA).”
Lawyers’ reputation
“We are also condemning this incident,” the defence counsel had argued.
Judicial Remand
Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) sent eleven accused lawyers on 14-day judicial remand for attacking PIC which had resulted in the death of three cardiac patients and damage to the hospital’s emergency equipment and vehicles.
The police submitted closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of the assailants and informed the court that some lawyers have been produced before the forensic science laboratory for their photogrammetric test.
A report will be presented to the court after the face-matching of attackers with CCTV footage. However, the judge expressed displeasure for not producing police record before the court and ordered its submission on the next day.
Lawyers Protest
The lawyer community has expressed disdain after their petitions to seek the release of peers and efforts to restrain law enforcers from torture were not entertained by the Lahore High Court.
Following the decision, the lawyers decided to summon a house meeting at Aiwan-e-Adl to address the on-going crisis.
Lawyers boycott courts, security tightened at LHC
Meanwhile, Punjab Bar Council (PBC) denounced the administration’s report on PIC attack which was submitted to the LHC.
They have planned to hold an All Punjab Lawyers Convention at the Punjab Bar Council on December 19 to devise a plan to deal with the current situation.
PBC has claimed that the lawyers are being implicated in forged cases. “They [lawyers] had nothing to do with the attack on PIC. It happened as a result of the government’s negligence,” the lawyers’ body asserted.
The council accused the doctors and paramedics of pelting lawyers with stones and worsening the situation.
“The government did not register any first information report (FIR) against the health practitioners,” they protested.
“No action was taken on the speech [that] went viral on social media.”
Published in The Express Tribune, December 17th, 2019.
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