Security measures at Rawalpindi’s district courts and judicial complex were once again exposed after a gun-toting man opened fire in a lawyer’s chamber and smoothly fled on foot on Wednesday.
The shocking incident occurred when a youth breached the heavily guarded police entry gate with a loaded pistol, entered the chamber of a senior lawyer, fired three shots and escaped. Fortunately, all three shots missed their target.
Notably, the police picket is merely 100 steps away and the police check-post is just 200 steps away from the lawyer’s chamber where the firing took place.
The shooting incident took place in the chamber of senior lawyer Shahid Ilyas Janjua where accused Zohaib, with a case under hearing in court, arrived in the chamber. The suspect fired two shots at advocate Umar Iqbal after showing a bitter attitude, but fortunately, the lawyer's timely wisdom helped him escape the bullets.
Following the shooting, the accused fled the scene, managing to break through the police security and escape. The police chowki in charge reached the spot along with his subordinates and later registered a case against the accused.
In the aftermath of the incident, President District Bar Intizar Mehdi Shah and District Secretary Bar Raja Shahid Zafar, accompanied by lawyers, rushed to the crime scene. They strongly condemned the incident, emphasising the need to address the security lapses that allowed the accused to enter the premises of the district court with weapons. They also demanded immediate action to repair faulty CCTV cameras, enhance security measures, and file a case against the accused under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
An inspection conducted after the incident revealed a shocking state of affairs in the district courts' security measures. The walk-through gates and metal detectors installed at all 10 entry points -- both small and large -- were found to be non-functional. It has been non-functional for the past several years. Furthermore, an examination of the closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed for security in the district courts revealed that 47 out of 77 cameras were defective. Even among the functional cameras, the majority produce poor-quality footage, making it challenging to identify the accused.
This incident is the latest in a series of concerning events, with lawyers expressing serious concerns over the increasing number of shootings and stabbing incidents in the district courts and Judicial Complex over the past two to three years.
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