Lahore/Sialkot: Angry lawyers tried to break through the gate of the Punjab Assembly in Lahore as they continued staging protests today across the province for the second day after two lawyers were slain in Daska district of Sargodha.
Police had barricaded the Punjab Assembly from the inside to prevent lawyers who were protesting in front of the building from entering.
The furor erupted after Daska Station House Officer (SHO) Shehzad Warraich had opened fire on the lawyers protesting near the Daska police station on May 25, resulting in the deaths of Daska Bar Association (DBA) President Rana Khalid Abbas and Advocate Irfan Chauhan. Lawyers Jahanzeb Shahid and Samiullah Malhi were among the two injured.
Earlier today, the dissenting lawyers also set the security shade outside the Punjab Assembly on fire. A heavy contingent of Rangers was immediately deployed outside the Punjab Assembly to disperse them. The protesters also tore the banners of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and smashed windows of a police van.
While in Faisalabad, rallies were held in various parts of the city and the protesters chanted slogans against police near the Civil Line police station.
The aggrieved lawyers also broke through the main gate of the Deputy Police Office (DPO) Gujranwala early today. Police fired tire gas at the protesters as they also hurled stones at the DPO office Silakot.
As the lawyers demanded arrest of the Daska SHO, Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif confirmed that the government has taken swift action over the incident.
The law and order situation in Lahore has deteriorated, with lawyers' protests increasing in intensity.
The protests on Mall Road have restarted after a short pause, and GPO Chowk has been closed for traffic.
There are no police forces present at Mall Road. Policemen on the scene left as protests took a turn for the worse in order to save themselves.
Lawyers surrounded an Elite Forces vehicle at the scene, taking to the mobile with sticks, beating the windows in.
Initially, protesters tried to set it on fire. After vandalising the vehicle, a handful of protesters succeeded in turning it onto its side.
According to a senior bar member, a 'rebel group' of lawyers of the Lahore High Court are engaging in violent protests, having rejected attempts to make them see reason
A lone policeman present at the scene was nabbed by protesters, who accused him of spying on them, and beat him.
Protesters have been sloganeering against the government, calling for the arrest and punishment of the Daska police station SHO inspector Shahzad Warraich who is believed to be responsible for the deaths of two lawyers in Daska yesterday.
Lawyers in the province have started protests following the brutal murders of two office-bearers of the Daska Bar Association yesterday.
In light of the law and order situation in the city, the Metro Bus stop from MAO College to Gajjumata has been suspended due to protests occurring in the vicinity of the college.
Calls for protest came from the Punjab Bar Council and the Lahore Bar Association.
Sporadic violent protests erupted in several cities of Punjab after two lawyers, including the president of the local bar association, were shot dead on Monday.