Islamabad: FIR lodged against 21 lawyers
From Our Correspondent :
ISLAMABAD: Police lodged FIR against 21 lawyers for storming inside the chamber of chief justice Islamabad High Court (IHC), Mr. Justice Athar Minullah on Monday morning. The enraged lawyers stormed inside the chamber of the IHC Chief Justice in protest over demolishing of their chambers.
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) had demolished the chambers of the lawyers illegally constructed in the federal capital. Terrorism act also included in the FIR, police sources said.
They barged into the Chief Justice Block, broke windows and shouted slogans against IHC CJ Athar Minallah outside his chamber, trapping him inside. The IHC top judge was inside his chamber at the time, however, special security police troops were not present when the lawyers entered the block and arrived much later.
Earlier, as the lawyers’ protest grew violent, female employees were evacuated from the block and other IHC judges also arrived at the scene. Rangers and Counter-Terrorism Department officials were also deployed along with police in order to control the situation.
The lawyers also verbally clashed with a Rangers officer, who had arrived with other officials at the court’s Chief Justice Block. The official was stopped at the entrance.
Proceedings in district courts as well as in the IHC were suspended and petitioners were stopped from entering the building. The road outside the court was blocked for traffic. The lawyers also misbehaved with journalists who were present on the scene and were recording videos.
“We are trying to get this resolved in half an hour,” Islamabad District Commissioner Hamza Shafaat who had arrived at the court said in an informal conversation with journalists. Islamabad police chief Qazi Jamilur Rehman and Interior Secretary Yousuf Naseem Khokhar also arrived at the court’s premises.
Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani and IHC Bar Association President Haseeb Chaudhry urged the rioting lawyers to opt for dialogue.
Islamabad: FIR lodged against 21 lawyers