LAHORE - The Lahore High Court is expected to initiate proceedings today against the lawyers involved in misbehaving with a Multan Bench judge, using harsh words against him and crushing his nameplate under their feet, the sources told The Nation on Tuesday.
The LHC, according to the sources, earlier had given 24-hour time to the lawyers to contact the two-member committee comprising Justice Yawar ali and Justice Ali Akbar Qureshi, b but nobody contacted the committee in this regard.
In what said to be an attack on the Lahore High Court, Multan LHCBA President Sher Zaman along with a lawyer misbehaved with Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan who was holding proceedings on a case related to a mosque falling on the route of a government project in Vehari Chowk.
The lawyers’ attacks on lower courts’ judges have become a routine, but this time they damaged the nameplate of a Lahore High Court Judge, exchanged hot words with him and demanded his transfer. They also threatened to continue strike.
According to Multan LHCBA President Sher Zaman Qureshi, 25 lawyers submitted their power of attorney in the case and of them hardly five to six, including him, were present in the court. He claimed when one of his colleagues was putting up arguments in the case, the judge asked him (Qureshi) to move aside and avoid making the courtroom crowded.
The sources said the judge had asked the lawyers to sit on benches while their colleague was arguing, but the lawyers did not leave the place. They said that an argument took place between the lawyers and the judge after which the judge left the courtroom. Later, a group of lawyers arrived outside the courtroom of Justice Khan and broke down his nameplate. The lawyers also took out a procession from the court premises to the main road outside of the court building.
Taking serious notice of the lawyers’ attack on the court, Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah called upon the judges to stop working there and take up the cases to Lahore High Court’s principal seat. The sources said the chief justice also directed Pakistan Bar Council, the lawyers’ top regulatory body, to initiate action against the lawyers, but the sources claimed that no action was taken against them.
When asked about any action initiated against the lawyers, Pakistan Bar Council Vice Chairman Ahsan Bhoon said, “A close relative is ill and, so I m not in touch with the affairs of the court. I will share the whole matter as soon as I am back.”
The sources said some senior lawyers might play their role to save their fellows from the court’s wrath as Chief Justice Shah had warned the lawyers that action could be taken against those who were involved in disgracing the Multan bench judge in the light of the principles set in Tariq Aziz case.
The lawyers of Multan on Tuesday observed strike, but no strike was observed at the principal seat. The LHCBA in Lahore held a general house meeting and condemned Ferozepur Road suicide attack on police personnel. The bar leaders slammed the government for its failure to eradicate the menace of terrorism.
Addressing the general house meeting, Bar President Ch Zulfiqar Ali said the rulers had been spending billions of rupees of public money for their protection, leaving the citizens at the mercy of terrorists.
He demanded the government improve functioning of the law-enforcement agencies and financial support for the families of those martyred and injured.
Other lawyers also spoke on the occasion, saying had the Rangers been deployed in Punjab like Karachi and Quetta under the National Action Plan 2015, the law and order situation would have been much better. They also criticised the government for keeping friendly relations with Indian Premier Modi. The lawyers lauded the Punjab police for fighting terrorists with their limited resources and expressed grief with the families of the martyred personnel.
