Lawyers' protest will continue, despite assurances from govt

Lawyers demand action on the F-8 court attack.

ISLAMABAD: Dramatic scenes were witnessed in the most sensitive part of the capital with a lawyers' protest crippling the area that houses the country's most important installations, including the Supreme Court and Parliament building. 

Unhindered by pouring rain, lawyers protested the alleged mishandling of the F-8 court attack incident on Islamabad's Constitution Avenue, police closed the gates of Parliament House and sealed entry and exit routes to the city's Red Zone, Express News reported on Monday.

A session of the National Assembly was to begin at 4 pm today (Monday) but access to the area was difficult given the protests and compounded by  pouring rain.

At least one committee meeting - an important session of the House Advisory Committee - had been cancelled at last report, according to correspondents of The Express Tribune who are on site.

The protesting lawyers demanded that cases should be registered against Islamabad IG and SSP for the alleged mishandling. They also claimed that compensation money paid to families of the victims was not enough.

The protesters claimed that police statements about the number of assailants were misleading, and objected to Interior Minister’s statement about Judge Rafaqat Awan being killed by his own guard.

The demonstrators include the F-8 court lawyers and others from the Rawalpindi Bar Council.

Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, along with Islamabad District Bar Association President Naseer Ahmed Kayani, Islamabad Bar General Secretary Naeem Gujjar and the Information Minister, is meeting the Deputy Speaker to address the protestors' concerns.

Protest will continue

After the meeting, the lawyers termed the negotiations unsuccessful and said that the protest will continue. However, on request of the President of Bar Association, the lawyers have dispersed for today.

Islamabad District Bar Association President Naseer Ahmed Kayani said that only one demand was unequivocally accepted, and that the protest will continue till all demands are accepted.

In the meeting it was decided that Rangers personnel will be stationed at the district courts in Islamabad to fortify security.

On March 18 the lawyers had announced to start a sit-in from the following week if the city district courts were not shifted to their building located in Sector G-10. The G-10 building is currently occupied by the Islamabad High Court.

A day earlier, on March 17, the lawyers had rejected the Islamabad administration’s proposal to shift the City District Courts to the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) building.