LAHORE - Lawbreaking lawyers went on the rampage at the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday after a full bench issued non-bailable arrest warrants for one of their Multan colleague.

The court had ordered arrest of Multan High Court Bar Association President Sher Zaman Qureshi who had not appeared before the court despite repeated directives in a contempt case.

Qureshi and his colleagues had allegedly humiliated a judge at the Multan Bench on July 24 when Justice Qasim Khan was hearing a case related to a mosque land dispute. Qureshi, Multan Bar Secretary Syed Qaisar Abbas Kazmi and others were also accused of ransacking the court and ripping off nameplate of the judge.

Talking suo motu notice of the incident, the LHC chief justice withdrew all four Multan bench judges to the principal seat and initiated contempt proceedings against the Multan bar president and secretary.

The five-member bench headed by the CJ on Monday ordered the Multan regional police officer to arrest Sher Zaman and produce him in the court today (August 22). The court also suspended his licence.

LHC Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah headed the bench. Justice Muhammad Anwaarul Haq, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti and Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza were members of the bench.

As the bench passed the order, lawyers present outside the Chief Justice Block tried to enter the courtroom. Police used water cannon and teargas to clear the premises of lawbreaking lawyers. Rangers were also called in to guard the CJ Block. Also, the lawbreakers pelted the Lahore High Court with stones.

Scores of lawyers were reported to have been injured during the violent clash. The clash continued for an hour, causing a mess on The Mall – the heart of the Punjab capital.

Later, lawyers staged a sit-in at the GPO Chowk that lasted till evening. The Lahore High Court Bar Association announced a boycott of courts across the province today (Tuesday).

Bar President Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali said lawyers would not appear in courts. He said that black coats would wear black armbands to register their protest against what he called “adamant attitude” of the bench.

Zulfiqar said that lawyers wanted the issue to be resolved through “peaceful means” at the Bar Council level, but the bench did not accept their proposal.

Before this announcement, the charged lawyers raised slogans in favour of Sher Zaman and broke the gate leading to the CJ Block down. They also threw stones at the police and damaged the main gate of the court. They were carrying clubs.

The LHC bench was constituted to proceed against the delinquent lawyers under the law of contempt and High Court Rules and Orders for suspension and/or removal of their practice of the LHC.

The court, on the request of bar members, gave many opportunities to the HCBA-Multan president but he did not appear before it. On August 11, the bench gave him last chance to appear in the court.

The lawyers have been on boycott of courts in nine districts against the bench for what they called ‘indecent remarks’. However, independent sources say the judge had just asked the lawyers to take their seats and let the counsel argue during hearing of the mosque land case at the Multan Bench.

Qureshi is reported to have escaped a police raid in Multan. He fled on a bike when policemen raided his house in line with court orders.

Expressing concern over the incident, former Supreme Court Bar Association President Aitzaz Ahsan took a swipe at the Punjab government for its failure to fend off such a violent situation. “Maintaining law and order is government’s responsibility, but it failed. It seems the government wants to keep courts under pressure so that they can’t decide cases independently. The silence of the government on such a situation is a cause of concern,” he added.

Talking to a private news channel, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said the police took action after lawyers gate-crashed the CJ Block. “Lawyers were also carrying clubs. They pelted the police with bricks and stones,” he said, adding that police took action at appropriate time.

IHCBA to observe strike today

The Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) has announced to observe a complete strike on Tuesday (today) to express solidarity with the lawyers who were tear-gassed by the police in Lahore.

In a statement issued on Monday, IHCBA Joint Secretary Asif Ali Tamboli said that they strongly condemned the incident and police torture OF the lawyers.

He said that the legal fraternity of Islamabad fully stood with the lawyers and they would observe a complete strike at the Islamabad High Court.

members of the bench.

As the bench passed the order, lawyers present outside the Chief Justice Block tried to enter the courtroom. Police used water cannon and teargas to clear the premises of lawbreaking lawyers. Rangers were also called in to guard the CJ Block. Also, the lawbreakers pelted the Lahore High Court with stones.

Scores of lawyers were reported to have been injured during the violent clash. The clash continued for an hour, causing a mess on The Mall – the heart of the Punjab capital.

Later, lawyers staged a sit-in at the GPO Chowk that lasted till evening. The Lahore High Court Bar Association announced a boycott of courts across the province today (Tuesday).

Bar President Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali said lawyers would not appear in courts. He said that black coats would wear black armbands to register their protest against what he called “adamant attitude” of the bench.

Zulfiqar said that lawyers wanted the issue to be resolved through “peaceful means” at the Bar Council level, but the bench did not accept their proposal.

Before this announcement, the charged lawyers raised slogans in favour of Sher Zaman and broke the gate leading to the CJ Block down. They also threw stones at the police and damaged the main gate of the court. They were carrying clubs.

The LHC bench was constituted to proceed against the delinquent lawyers under the law of contempt and High Court Rules and Orders for suspension and/or removal of their practice of the LHC.

The court, on the request of bar members, gave many opportunities to the HCBA-Multan president but he did not appear before it. On August 11, the bench gave him last chance to appear in the court.

The lawyers have been on boycott of courts in nine districts against the bench for what they called ‘indecent remarks’. However, independent sources say the judge had just asked the lawyers to take their seats and let the counsel argue during hearing of the mosque land case at the Multan Bench.

Qureshi is reported to have escaped a police raid in Multan. He fled on a bike when policemen raided his house in line with court orders.

Expressing concern over the incident, former Supreme Court Bar Association President Aitzaz Ahsan took a swipe at the Punjab government for its failure to fend off such a violent situation. “Maintaining law and order is government’s responsibility, but it failed. It seems the government wants to keep courts under pressure so that they can’t decide cases independently. The silence of the government on such a situation is a cause of concern,” he added.

Talking to a private news channel, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said the police took action after lawyers gate-crashed the CJ Block. “Lawyers were also carrying clubs. They pelted the police with bricks and stones,” he said, adding that police took action at appropriate time.