Uncivil behaviour at Lahore civil court

A judge's reader was hit in the head with a chair, while another was flung down a flight of stairs.

LAHORE: A judge’s reader was critically injured when he was hit in the head with a chair in a civil court in Lahore, Express News reported on Wednesday.

Additionally, Civil Judge Fouzia Anjum’s reader was flung down a flight of stairs.

The attacker, identified as lawyer Habibur Rahman, entered a courtroom in Lahore with an unidentified companion and attacked the reader, injuring him.

The staff of the civil court went on strike following the attack. Meanwhile, female staffers have taken solace in the office of a civil judge.

Other attacks

On November 4, a case was registered against 16 lawyers for vandalising a courtroom and threatening a judge.

Cantonment police had said Advocate Muhammad Umair of district and sessions court had interrupted Judge Muhammad Rasheed Qamar during the hearing of a petition. The judge had ordered the lawyer not to interrupt the proceedings.

The lawyer had left, but returned with several other lawyers.

They had broken courtroom furniture and had threatened the judge with dire consequences.

Some of them had also tried to attack the judge, who was escorted out of the chamber by the police and taken to the retirement room.

On August 28, opposing counsel at a bail hearing in an assault case got into a fight that turned into a mass brawl at the District and Sessions Court in Lahore.

As the accused went to the courtroom yesterday morning, they were set upon by the complainant’s lawyers, said witnesses. Their lawyer Advocate Adnan tried to intervene, but he too was beaten up, according to witnesses.

Adnan’s colleagues then also got involved, and a huge brawl ensued on the premises. Lawyers picked up chairs and tables from inside the courtroom and flung them at each other.