Punjab

Police, lawyers clash

Police arrest more than 100 lawyers, CJ tells inspector general to release all lawyers.

Rana Tanveer October 02, 2010

LAHORE:

The clash between lawyers and judges turned into one between lawyers and the police after charged lawyers insisted on taking out a rally, despite the imposition of Section 144 on The Mall.

Large contingents of police that had started deployment early Friday morning used tear gas, baton charge and brick-bats to stop lawyers of the Lahore Bar Association (LBA). Dozens of lawyers were injured in a confrontation that also left three policemen wounded.

The police arrested more than 100 lawyers on Friday after a thorough search of Aiwan-e-Adal courts, bar room, library, lawyers’ chambers and canteen. Police personnel also ransacked the bar room, damaging its furniture and breaking window panes.

The clashes started after a general house meeting when the lawyers decided to take out a protest rally led by LBA’s senior vice president Lubna Mahmood. The police teams deployed outside Aiwan-e-Adal forced the lawyers back inside the gate. After the initial scuffle, the lawyers started hurling bricks and bottles at the police, injuring three men.

The police responded by hurling tear gas shells into the court complex and an indiscriminate baton charge. The lawyers retreated back inside and the police did not follow them, returning to their positions outside the courts.

After about half an hour, a group of charged lawyers tried to take out a rally again, hurling stones at the police. They also tore down the walkthrough gate on the premises. This time the police entered the Aiwan-e-Adal and conducted a thorough search and arrested as many lawyers as they could.

During the course of making arrests, police beat up several lawyers. A library worker was also injured after he refused to let the police enter the library.

Earlier the LBA president Sajid Bashir addressed the bar members over telephone from his lock up at the Manga Mandi police station. He said that the lawyers would continue to protest until their demands were accepted. After the confrontation at Aiwan-e-Adal, some lawyers at the Lahore High Court tried to make their way to the court of the chief justice while chanting slogans but were stopped by the police.

Later in the day, a group of lawyers led by the Lahore High Court Bar Association president Mian Abdul Quddus met with Chief Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif. According to Quddus, the chief justice condemned the confrontation. He said that the chief justice told the inspector general of police to release all the arrested lawyers.

After Justice Sharif left his court room, another delegation of lawyers met with Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry, the puisne senior most judge of the Lahore High Court. However, LBA members said that they did not recognise the contacts.

A joint press conference was held by Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) member Kazim Khan, Punjab Bar Council (PbBC) vice chairman Mumtaz Mustafa, LBA secretary Qasim Buttar and some other lawyers. Kazim Khan said that he could not understand why the district and sessions judge had not been transferred so far. He added that the PBC was with the lawyers and also announced a boycott by lawyers throughout the country on Monday. The PbBC vice chairman also announced that they would boycott court proceedings on Monday. He said that he would lodge FIRs against police officials for beating the lawyers.

Published in The Express Tribune October 2nd, 2010.

COMMENTS (16)

mian shakeel ahmad | 14 years ago | Reply whenever dictator or or its tools attacked over the civl society we the Lawyers being the most important part of the nation not only condemend with moral but also courgious prectica efferts .I do believe that all the lawyer's policey makers available are so inteligent and devoted up to commitmentare very sincer with the community.so success make its way .

A citizen of Pakistan | 14 years ago | Reply When they were doing same act during the time of Musharraf Civil Society, media and all these deposed judges appreciated them very well and never condemned this Act. When a leader of lawyer movement Hamid Khan made a speech in Supreme Court bar regarding musharraf that we will strip off his Wardi and his skin, why everyone hailed them? This shows double standards. These were the lawyers who went upto the court of Ahsan Bhone the then Justice of High Court After Emergency declaration and abused him there in the same manner as they did yesterday with Khuwaja Shabaz Shareef Court. But all these people who came up now as critics of Lawyers acts, were among those who appreciated them. Very Well said by the person above, this is what media, judiciary and all those lawyer movement was doing and As you sow so shall you reap.. No one points out the yelllow Journalism? so we should call it Media Gardi? After giving instructions of beating the hell out of lawyers now LHC CJ is being nice by giving their release orders. Cherry on the Cake beloved CJ took Suo Moto Notice.. To all those apologist, these people were same who threw shoe at Latif Khosa and beat the hell out of Khalid ranjha in front of Supreme Court. none of them were beneficiaries of NRO neither belongs to any political regime. Where was the CJ of LHC when they were beating journalists and other people in LHC, why was he so indolent then in taking such actions? no when they dared to damage his court room now he gave instruction to give lesson to lawyers? WoW what a Justice we got after so called Lawyer movement and Independence of Judiciary.

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Sultan Ahmed. | 14 years ago | Reply democracy is so strong will protect itself.

Sultan Ahmed. | 14 years ago | Reply democracy is very strong will protect itself

Sultan Ahmed. | 14 years ago | Reply democracy is very strong will protect itself.

Sultan Ahmed. | 14 years ago | Reply They have lost people's support by their illegal actions against the honor of the judges . If we admit that they have played a crucial role in restoration of judiciary, what they are doing now,being done on whose indication. They have turned LHC into battle ground,but should think now democracy in the country is very strong will protect itself. Now look, police force is dancing on their success and you, shame.

Amanat ali | 14 years ago | Reply We all should condemn this lawyer "gundagardi". after the success of lawyer movement to re-instate CJ this group has become out of control. They are joking with the law-and-order and these wicked lawyer must be dealt with iron hand and to face the trial and please be punished under the laws. There are many example of these black-sheep/coat when they broke the law and beat the innocent peoples, media men and police and even judges. Shame on these lawyer. Good action of the Govt, now they should not be released untill the punishment. please

User | 14 years ago | Reply I see alot of people condemning the lawyers & their tactics, but what surprises me that when these same hooligans & thugs were protesting for a Chief Justice against whom reference was filled, they were called & portrayed as great, professional, up holders of the law by all opposition, media & same judges. Talk about hypocrisy. They were, are & will remain hooligans & thugs. Now the snake has turned around & biting the hands of those who fed them. The nexus between Politician, Media, Lawyers & Judges have turned against each other in less than 3 years. This is because that whole movement as false & based on vested interests, because of that movement, Pakistan is struggling for its future. More to come...... All Hail Democracy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Zainab Ali | 14 years ago | Reply It is so sad that those who should be defending law are involved in lawless activities. Lawyers must also respect the law just like any other Pakistani citizen.

Mohsin Hijazee | 14 years ago | Reply That's a must. These lawyers should be prosecuted till the end.

uzair | 14 years ago | Reply How can a lawyer attack judge office even if your complaint is genuine. These lawyers need a dose of law. It is shameful calling them lawyers. they are not. these are bunch of GHUNDAS

Nasr | 14 years ago | Reply Just heard a news about LHC chief justice ordering release of all detained lawyers. Well he act the same way if political activists or civilians had attacked his court.

Hamza Baloch | 14 years ago | Reply Kissi ko izit raas nhi aati... after lawyers movement for judiciary, lawyers becme very respectufl... but after the movement become sucessfull they gardually coming on their x-position.

Another opinion | 14 years ago | Reply What is wrong with these lawyers? They're heady with the success of the lawyer movement and are being really obnoxious now.

Javed Afridi | 14 years ago | Reply Lawyers, who are true to their profession, and the civil society must step in to support judiciary against the NRO protectors; who tried their best to obstruct lawyer's moment for independent judiciary and are now out to save NRO beneficiaries through these kinds of tactics.

Ghulam shabbir | 14 years ago | Reply A brave action by Punjab Government. Lawyers 'Ghundagardi" must be handled with iron hands. These are black sheep and giving bad name to all lawyers.Lawyers should also come up and support police's action.These are the lawyers who have no role in Chief justice's movement.

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