Conflict resolution: Committee formed for lawyer-police clashes

Lawyers said police had unlawfully entered an advocate’s house.

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court on Thursday found a committee comprising the Lahore High Court Bar Association president and the Operations Deputy Inspector General to resolve a clash between lawyers and policemen.

Justice Manzoor Ahmed Malik told lawyers that it was their job to keep their sentiments in check. Earlier, Advocate Rai Bashir Ahmed told the court that police had unlawfully entered Advocate Babar Waheed’s house and misbehaved with his family, including women and children. He said the police had taken Waheed’s sister-in-law and her baby, and kept them in illegal detention. They were later freed on the court’s orders. He said next day when the investigation officer and SHO Umar Rasheed Butt appeared before the district judge, he ordered them to register an FIR against the police officials. Ahmed said the officials threatened the lawyers. He said following a scuffle, the police officials registered an FIR against lawyers under terrorism charges. He said they also nominated Waheed’s sister-in-law in the FIR.  Advocate Asghar Gill said this would go on if police and lawyers continue to register cases against each other. He said they should sit together and resolve the matter. The judge asked for five people from each side to meet in his retiring room. It was then decided that Advocate Shafqat Mahmood Chohan, the LHCBA president, and DIG Rana Abdul Jabbar would resolve the matter and report progress to the court in seven days.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 28^th, 2014.