JIT to probe IHC vandalism

Lawyers warn of countrywide movement if arrested colleagues not set free

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday accepted a proposal put forward by the police to form a joint investigation team (JIT) to probe the arrest and harassment of lawyers following an attack on the chief justice block of the high court.

Hearing the case, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah said a JIT led by senior police officers should be formed to arrest the lawyers involved in the attack, and take action as per the law against them.

“The JIT will ask the bar about the suspects in this case. The presidents of the Islamabad District Bar and the High Court should identify the lawyers involved [in the storming of the court],” the chief justice asserted.

“No one is above the law, nor will the attack on the high court be ignored at any cost,” Justice Minallah stated while hearing the case.

“You all know who the attackers were. They were all lawyers who had come here, and there was no outsider. I know a majority of them personally. They are all included in proceeding with the march, agitating the lawyers, and in attacking them,” he added.

He further stated that the arrested lawyers could file bail pleas seeking their release as per the law.

“Neither the innocent ones should be arrested nor should the accused be spared,” said Justice Minallah underscored.

Justice Minallah said there was no need for protest as he had been working for the transfer of katcheri since after assuming the charge as the chief justice.

“The incumbent government has worked at a fast pace for the transfer of the district judiciary,” he said, adding that “the government had approved the katcheri transference funds.”

As the chief justice said he had come to know that lawyers were marching towards D-Chowk for the construction of district courts, Islamabad Deputy Commissioner (DC) Hamza Shafqaat responded that he had just "returned from the protest site" where only "around 100 to 150 lawyers" were present.

At this, the IHC chief justice asked the DC to inform in writing the relevant bars that the plan for construction of the judicial complex had been approved and the hiring of a consultant had been done too.

The hearing of the case was adjourned till February 15.

48-hour ultimatum

On the other hand, lawyers on Saturday gave a 48-hour ultimatum to the government to fulfil their demands regarding the reconstruction of their demolished chambers.

During their rally at Islamabad’s D-Chowk, members of the legal fraternity also warned that if the arrested lawyers were not released and cases against them were not dismissed, a protest movement will be launched across the country.

Earlier, the lawyers staged a rally from the courts in Sector F-8 to the D-Chowk during which they chanted slogans in support of their demands.

Condemning “illegal raids” conducted at homes of lawyers, they said demanded of the IHC to inspect who was creating conflicts between the lawyers and the judges by issuing such orders.

They also demanded the formation of a separate judicial and court complex for lawyers.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 14^th, 2021.