Daily Times

More than 70 lawyers of Islamabad Bar have condemned the attack on Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Athar Minallah and demanded action against the lawyers involved.

The lawyers issued a joint statement, in which they said that the attack on judiciary was in fact an attack on the basis of legal profession. “The Islamabad Bar Council should take stern action against the elements involved in the incident. Condemnation is not enough, action should be taken under criminal law,” they said, adding that the performance of the Islamabad Bar Council was disappointing as it failed to regulate the conduct of lawyers.

“As lawyers practicing in the courts of Islamabad, we issue this statement to condemn the assault that took place on the Court of the Honourable Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court and the ransacking of his office. We will not mince our words here: an attack on the judiciary is an attack on the very foundations of the legal profession, itself. As such, it has laid bare the true motivations of those who engage in such acts: pure self-interest, with the expectation that the law will bend over backwards to accommodate it.

“As videos from the scene clearly show, a section of lawyers have attacked the chambers; caused destruction to property; and threatened violence against members of the judiciary. These actions do not merely merit moral condemnation; they violate criminal law of the country as well as canons of professional ethics and must be dealt with, accordingly.

“We note with great dismay that it has had to come to this point. This is but one instance in a growing trend of lawlessness within the legal community. Recently, a video surfaced of lawyers threatening to burn down a police station in reaction to any attempt to counteract their illegal encroachment. The same was not met by disciplinary action, of any consequence. If, those entrusted with the discipline of the profession had played their role, things would not have come to this pass. It is highly disappointing that the Islamabad Bar Council has failed to perform its regulatory functions to regulate the conduct of lawyers. It is due to the failure of the Islamabad Bar Council that the situation has reached to today’s incidents where members of the bar attacked the Islamabad High Court without fear.

“The Pakistan Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils Rules, 1976 places upon us a duty to “uphold at all times the dignity and high standing” of this profession. Unfortunately, this has been reduced to mere text on paper.

“In light of the foregoing, we condemn the attack on the Islamabad High Court in strongest terms and demand that the Islamabad Bar Council take strict disciplinary action against all individuals involved in the incident. Failing which, we will be constrained to approach other state authorities to take action in accordance with law.

“If there is to be any hope that honour will be restored to this once noble profession, the crimes of our professional peers must be acknowledged, and dealt with by the same law that we all seek to uphold. This is time to show moral leadership, not for crafting excuses.”

Signatories:

Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir, Nausherwan Niaz, Asfandyar Khan, Ayesha Siddique Khan, Barrister Zainab Janjua, Hassan Ali Raza, Danish Aftab, Adeel Wahid, Faiza Asad, Barrister Ahsan J. Pirzada, Anique Salman Malik, Sehr Asif, Jugnoo Kazmi, Barrister Shayyan Qaiser, Ramsha Noshab, Salman K. Haider, Sohaib Shahid, Mahnoor Asif, Suleman A. Zeb, Abdul Aziz Bhugri, Maimana Khattak, Babbar Ali Khan, Barrister Adeel Malik, Barrister Pirzada Aurang Zaib, Sardar Haseeb Ahmed, Barrister Kabir Hashmi, Barrister Khadija Siddiqui, Barrister Abraiz Ali Khan, Mehrunnisa Sajjad, Rizwan Ahmad, Barrister Ahmed Uzair, Shazr Ahmed Qureshi, Minhal Taher Qayyum, Barrister Danyal Tarar, Sabila Daraz Khan, Sheherezaad Qureshi, Syeda Ruqqiyah Bukhari, Usman Warraich, Ramsha Khalid Malik, Hina Gul Roy, Mahwish Iqbal Rao, Salaar Khan, Barrister Yasser Lateef Hamdani, Maryam Ali Abbasi, Ali Nawaz Kharal, Omer Imran Malik, Sikander Naeem Qazi, Badar Iqbal Chaudhary, Ramshah Kamran, Rabi Bin Tariq, Majid Rashid Khan, Umer Ijaz Gilani, Saleha Hayat, Mian Samiuddin, Manan Mohmand, Mansoor Shakil, Barrister Benazir Jatoi, Barrister Faisal Khan, Umer Rehman, Sanaullah Khan, Barrister Waqas Aziz Qureshi, Pir Khizar Hayat, Raheel Ahmed, Zainab N. Khan, Muhammad Haider Imtiaz, Mariam Farid Khwaja, Tariq Hameed, Muhammad Khattak, Kashifa Niaz and Bilal Akbar Laghari.