/ Agencies/ FAISLABAD-A large number of lawyers on Monday went berserk and broke into City Police Officer (CPO) office, vandalised the office premises and threw stone at the main gate and sign boards.
They also blocked a nearby road in protest against registration of cases against more than 30 lawyers under Anti-Terrorism Act. The protesting lawyers demanded the Faisalabad CPO and the RPO transferred the policemen involved in the incident. They also demanded the Chief Justice to take notice of the incident that happened three days back on the court.
The case was registered on Sunday against the lawyers for allegedly manhandling the Dijkot Police SHO and his staff on district court's premises when they reached to produce an accused, the brother of a lawyer, in a court.
On Monday, some lawyers' representatives asked the police to withdraw the case but the police officials refused to oblige them. The refusal enraged the lawyers, who held a demonstration at District Chowk and got a nearby market closed.
The protesting lawyers then attacked the CPO office and injured three policemen deployed outside the office.
According to Faisalabad Police spokesman Amir Waheed, a suspect Malik Shahid, brother of lawyer Malik Arshad, was arrested by police on April 25 in a fraud case involving Rs2 million, under section 406 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
He said that Dijkot Police SHO Malik Waris produced the suspect in a local court but on the district courts premises some lawyers attacked the policemen. He said the lawyers not only hurled life threats to at the policemen but also tore their uniform, snatched cash, ID cards, service cards and other valuables. "They were also subjected to unlawful detention," the spokesperson claimed, adding that the lawyers' act of violence terrorised the litigants and others people present on the courts premises. "So, the lawyers were booked for their wrongdoing under the Anti-Terrorism Act," he informed.
"Now more cases will be registered against the lawyers for attacking police and public properties," he said.
District Bar Association president Malik Mohammad Amjad denied all the allegations and said that the SHO had arrested brother of a lawyer without any case and justification. "Later, the police officer misbehaved with the lawyers on the court premises," he claimed. "Some junior lawyers had exchanged harsh words with policemen. Subsequently, both the parties scuffled with each other," he asserted and categorically denied charges of kidnapping or unlawfully detaining policemen.
"We are protesting because the police booked the lawyers under terrorism charges and that was unfair," the lawyers representative pointed out.

FAISALABAD: Lawyers vandalise sign board outside CPO office during a protest.–INP