PbBC announces strike for indefinite period, ban on cops’ entry

LAHORE            -       The Punjab Bar Council (PbBC) in an emergency meeting held here on Sat­urday announced to go on strike for indefinite period till the next deci­sion and banned the police entry into courts’ premises across the Punjab province.

The PbBC office-holders directed all the district and tehsil bar associations to ensure implementation of the ban and boycott of the court proceedings across the province.

The meeting also formed a commit­tee to educate the public about the doctors’ contribution to the Punjab cardiology Institute (PIC) carnage.

The committee will be led by PbBC member Munir Bhatti. The decision were made in the meeting that was held in the chair of PbBC Vice Chair­man Shahnawaz Ismaeel Gujjar.

The meeting also deiced to hold law­yers convention in Lahore soon.

Ch Shahnawas held the Punjab gov­ernment, district administration and Dr Imran, who had uploaded a video making mockery of certain lawyers, responsible for the PIC incident.

Meanwhile, the lawyers’ community boycotted the courts across the prov­ince against the arrest of lawyers in the wake of the attack on PIC incident. They also demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident.

The black coats remained away from pleading cases before courts and joined meetings and gatherings to ex­press their anger at the apprehension and “humiliation” of their colleagues. The protestants also demanded imme­diate release of the lawyers.

Likewise, A Joint Action Committee (JAC) consisting of various bars office-bearers termed the PIC attack a na­tional tragedy and called for a judicial inquiry into the incident. Senior law­yer, who was deeply irked by the un­fortunate incident, regretted the death of patients at the heart hospital.

The lawyers leaders expressed sym­pathies with the families who had lost their dear ones during the tragedy.

They said that during custody, the apprehended lawyers had been se­verely tortured by policemen. They also demanded the the Punjab govern­ment to order their release.

A day earlier, an anti-terrorism court granted three-day physical re­mand of eight accused lawyers to the Shadman police. Police presented them before the court in handcuffs with their faces covered.