Daily Times

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday instructed the Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) to assist the joint investigation team (JIT) to identify the lawyers involved in vandalizing the court premises. The court also rejected a request by IHCBA to constitute a judicial commission to deal with the matter.

Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the case against harassment of innocent lawyers by the law enforcement agencies after the IHC attack incident. Secretary IHCBA Sohail Akber Chaudhry, Raja Inam Amin Abbas, Asif Gujjar, Shoaib Shaheen, Nazia Bibi, Dandial Hassan and police officials appeared before the bench.

The chief justice noted that the presidents of IHCBA and district bar didn’t appear before the court despite instructions. The bench remarked that the bars should help identify the lawyers involved in rampage so that innocent members are not harassed. “When everyone has been condemning the incident then they should also identify the responsible of it,” the chief justice said, adding that all lawyers involved in violent protest were bar members and more than fifty percent were known to him. The presidents of bars were also present on the occasion and he had observed their helplessness, Justice Minallah said. He observed that the lawyers who had detained the judges had committed a serious crime and should be brought to justice to set example for others.

Secretary IHCBA Sohail Chaudhry on the occasion requested the court to constitute judicial commission to view the matter. The bench however rejected the request and said that the whole fraternity has been facing disgrace due to the bad attitude of just hundred lawyers. “We all are in trial now and the nation is observing us,” he observed. He further said that all protesters were in black uniform, adding that it was also the respect of bars to identify the real culprits.

Justice Minallah said that the IHC building was attacked which is intolerable. He said that the court has already instructed the law enforcers to take actions only against those lawyers who are involved in the incident. He said that the chief justice was detained for five hours but he is not angry personally rather he wants to take the matter to its logical end. The bench said that the JIT had submitted its report which states that lawyers and bars are not cooperating with it.

The chief justice said that there is no need of judicial commission in this matter, adding that the law would take its own course. “It is an opportunity for us to prove that everyone is equal in eyes of law through taking actions against the responsible people and making them as example for others.”

Advocate Raja Rizwan Abbasi said that if one name is identified, the police starts arresting all lawyers with same name. To this, the chief justice observed that whether he knows that the protesters came here with pre-planning and they even tortured journalists and got deleted their recorded videos. This court had been trusting bars always but only few lawyers damaged its respect, Justice Minallah said, adding that what would be the reaction of state if it was done by a political party. The chief justice remarked that it is the matter of institution’s dignity which cannot be compromised. He said that the innocent lawyers who were arrested have been released. He observed that everything happened in front of him but he didn’t mention any name. After this, the court adjourned hearing of the case.

Meanwhile, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday sent another lawyer to jail for seven days for involvement in IHC attack. The court, however, summoned arguments from two sides on post arrest bail petitions of three lawyers including Liaqat Manzoor Kambo, Khalid Mehmood and Muhammad Umer. ATC Judge Raja Jawad Abbas Hassan heard the bail petitions. The police also produced President Young Lawyers’ Forum Shoaib Gujjar before the judge and requested to send the accused to jail on 14-days judicial remand. The court, however, granted seven-day judicial remand of the accused.