Lawyers, admin clash over filtration plant

ABBOTTABAD:

A dispute between lawyers and the district administration over the installation of a water filtration plant at the district courts escalated into a serious clash on Wednesday, with several lawyers reportedly injured in stone-pelting and the New Tehsil Building partially damaged.

Police were called in to bring the situation under control, while tensions remained high in the city.

According to lawyers, the filtration plant was being installed at the district courts with funds provided by the Peshawar High Court (PHC) to facilitate the public, litigants and lawyers. However, Assistant Commissioner Afrasiab Bandial allegedly stopped the installation and had the plant removed.

The lawyers termed the action illegal and began a strike and protest on the call of the District Bar Association.

The district administration, meanwhile, maintained that the plant was being installed alongside the wall of the Estate Commissioner's office, prompting objections from the administration.

District administration officers and employees gathered at the New Tehsil Building for consultations, where government employees also expressed solidarity with the assistant commissioner.

Meanwhile, a large number of lawyers gathered outside the New Tehsil Building and began protesting.