PHOTO: INP
A video of Sadiqabad police station SHO ASI Tahir Butt pushing and shoving a young lawyer around had become viral on social media, prompting the lawyers’ community to protest against the excesses of the police department.
The High Court Bar Association (HCBA) and the District Bar Association (DBA) have decided to bar all policemen, including the city police officer (CPO), all SPs, DSPs, and ASPs, from entering the offices of magistrates, civil and session courts at the judicial complex and the district kuchery.
All investigation officers who had arrived at the kuchery and judicial complex for the hearing of cases were forced out of the premises on Tuesday. The lawyers also stopped police from obtaining physical remand of suspects who had been apprehended in nearly two dozen cases.
Lawyer bodies stand by IHC decision on UTPs
Subsequently, work in all courts has been suspended.
Fearing a backlash from the lawyers, the police personnel immediately left the kuchery. However, some police officers managed to sneak into the court premises after doffing their uniforms and hiding behind face masks.
Bar members further announced that they will lock the gates of kuchery and the judicial complex from Wednesday (today).
DBA President Ghulam Mustafa Shah, Secretary Yasir Chatha, HCBA President Malik Waheed Anjum, former bar president GM Shah accused ASI Tahir Butt of naked terrorism.
They demanded that ASI Butt should be booked under the Anti-Terrorism Act, otherwise the CPO, SP, and other police officers will not be allowed to enter the kuchery.
The bar president further warned of a province-wide strike unless ASI Butt is suspended or arrested.
Police version
Lawyers involved in PIC attack lose LBA polls
Though the video documented ASI Butt torturing a worker and then hitting a lawyer, he has accused the lawyer of initiating an attack on an officer of the law.
Meanwhile, SP Rawal Rai Mazhar Iqbal took notice of the incident and suspended ASI Butt for his alleged abuse of power and directed Newtown ASP to conduct an inquiry.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 24th, 2020.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ