Lawyers get time to file replies in IHC attack case
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday asked lawyers to submit their replies by August 4 in a case involving the ransacking and vandalism of the high court building during their violent protest in February this year.
In a two page judgement, IHC judge Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb said that Islamabad Bar Council member Naseer Ahmed Kayani and District Bar Association Vice-President Farzana Faisal Khan have tendered their unconditional apology in the misconduct case, thoroughly submitting to the court to adjudicate the matter.
The court said that the bench would issue an order regarding the apology of both lawyers at an appropriate time.
The verdict said that the reply of lawyer Naveed Hayat Malik did not fulfil the principle of an unconditional apology and a charge would be framed against him.
The court said that IBC President Zahid Raja has sought one week time to contemplate whether or not to tender an unconditional apology. He has also pleaded with the court to grant more time to the nominated lawyers to submit their replies.
Read Court rioting: IBC begins action against lawyers
The court said that on this pleas, the court set the August 4 deadline for the lawyers to submit their replies.
The nominated lawyers in the attack case include Ahsan Majeed Gujjar, Arbab Ayub Gujjar, Faisal Jadoon Farzana Mughal, Hammad Dar, Naseer Kayani, Nazia Abbasi, Raja Zahid, Shaista Tabassum, Yasmeen Rashid Sindhu, Kulsoom Rafique, Kamran Yousafzai, Hafiz Mazhar Javed, Khalid Mahmood, Raja Amjad, Raja Farrukh, Tassaduq Hanif, Akhtar Hussain, Asadullah Khan, Khalid Mahmood Khan, Muhammad Asif Gujjar, Muhammad Rustam Malik, Muhammad Shoaib Chaudhry, Muhammad Umar, Nusrat Parveen, Saif-ul-Islam Sindhu, Shehla Shaan Abbasi, and Zafar Khokhar and others.
In February, hundreds of lawyers ransacked the chamber of IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah during a protest against the demolition of their illegal chambers at the Islamabad District Courts also known as the kutcheri by the Capital Development Authority (CDA).
A group of rowdy lawyers had entered the IHC premises, angrily chanting slogans against the judiciary and the CDA.
The mob later barged into the IHC chief justice’s chamber and started ransacking the office in which Justice Minallah was present. Groups of lawyers had also forced other judges out of their courtrooms.
A first information report was also registered against the lawyers under several sections including the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 20th, 2021.