Senior lawyer and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan's lead counsel Sardar Latif Khosa was among 16 other lawyers rescued from a malfunctioning elevator at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday.
The lawyers remained trapped for approximately 45 minutes before being rescued by the Capital Development Authority's (CDA) rescue officials.
The incident, occurring shortly after Khosa's appearance in the Toshakhana case against Imran, left the lawyers in a cramped space without lights or a fan.
Naeem Haider Panjotha and Ali Ejaz Buttar were among the lawyers trapped in the elevator.
Meanwhile, videos of the trapped lawyers quickly circulated on social media, sparking concerns and accusations of alleged "harassment".
It was later revealed that the elevator was potentially overloaded, carrying more people than its capacity.
The high court's administration was accused of not doing anything to get the trapped lawyers out of the elevator. The IHC moved into its news building three months ago.
PTI claims ‘harassment’
Reacting to the incident, the PTI condemned the incident, claiming that Imran Khan's legal team had been "harassed" by being trapped in the elevator for such a long period of time.
The former ruling party called on President Arif Alvi and Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial to initiate an immediate investigation into the incident.
The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) also expressed deep concern following the incident.
In a joint statement, SCBA President Barrister Abid S Zuberi and Secretary Muqtedir Akhtar Shabbir praised the efforts of the CDA's emergency services and the lawyers themselves for successfully rescuing those trapped without any harm.
Read Imran fails to get IHC relief
The legal representatives also highlighted the absence of immediate assistance from the IHC staff during the ordeal.
This raised eyebrows as elevator malfunctions can often escalate into life-threatening situations, leading to suffocation or other dire consequences.
The lawyers acknowledged that the incident did not result in tragedy this time, but stressed the importance of investigating the malfunction thoroughly.
In its statement, the bar association called upon the IHC chief justice and relevant authorities to initiate an immediate and comprehensive investigation.
They urged them to determine whether the incident was a “result of negligence or a potential deliberate attempt on the lives and safety of the trapped lawyers”.
Barrister Zuberi and Secretary Shabbir, too, voiced the possibility of sabotage, urging authorities to consider this aspect during the investigation.
They stressed the unity of the legal community in the face of hindrances to justice and legal advocacy.
They concluded their statement with a plea for unity and justice.
“As a legal community, we must stand united against any attempt to hinder the pursuit of justice and legal advocacy. It is our fervent hope that the investigation will shed light on the true nature of this incident and shall ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future,” it said.
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