Owing to the confrontation between judges and lawyers, litigants continue to suffer. PHOTO: WASEEM NAZIR/EXPRESS
Negotiations between members of the bar and benches remained inconclusive on Thursday after the demolition of illegal chambers of lawyers on a football ground in Sector F-8.
A day earlier, the legal fraternity of the capital confined several judges of district courts and locked doors of around 40 courtrooms for an indefinite period after Civil Judge Umer Shabbir showed reluctance to issue a contempt of court notice to the chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for demolishing the lawyers’ chambers, illegally constructed on a football ground.
The doors of the courtrooms are still locked and lawyers said they would continue their struggle despite the fact that thousands of litigants had to suffer because of it on Thursday. Talking to The Express Tribune, Islamabad District Bar Association President Dr Muhammad Anwar said the bar association held a meeting with the district and sessions judges of east and west under the supervision of a committee constituted by the chief justice of the Islamabad High Court, but it was inconclusive. He said the legal community will continue its strike till the reconstruction of their chambers.
He said that during the meeting, the bar association said a civil judge should issue a contempt notice to the CDA chairman and a case should be lodged against him. Sources close to the development said that Islamabad Chief Commissioner Jawad Paul played the role of a mediator to resolve the issue but the negotiations failed. Around two months ago, lawyers had constructed their chambers on the football ground after getting a stay order from the court but the CDA demolished them.
When contacted, Paul confirmed that no progress was made and that the courtrooms are still locked by the lawyers, however, he was hopeful that the issue would be resolved very soon.
“Litigants are being sandwiched because of the conflict, which is unfair,” said Ajmal Hussain, a litigant whose case has been pending in the district courts since 2011. Due to the strike, his case was adjourned for next month.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 11th, 2013.
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