Lawyers across Pakistan go on strike for release of PIC attack suspects

LAHORE/RAWALPINDI: Lawyers across the country, on the call of legal bodies, boycotted courts on Friday to protest against the registration of cases against those lawyers who were arrested for their involvement in the rampage at Lahore’s Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) earlier this week.

The legal bodies demanded “immediate release” of those arrested. A notification issued by the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) on Thursday said the protest was “against partial and biased conduct of the local police and the administration of Lahore against the lawyers as well as action taken by the Islamabad High Court against the Secretary-General, Islamabad High Court Bar Association.”

The lawyers’ joint action committee formed on the matter said that lawyers will not appear in courts on Friday. They claimed that the arrested lawyers were tortured by police and demanded their immediate release. The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and various local bar associations also supported the strike call.

On Wednesday, lawyers had staged a violent protest at the PIC apparently on a mission to avenge a group of lawyers, who had been beaten up at the PIC a few weeks ago, soon after some video clips went viral on social media. The incident had resulted in three deaths as the condition of some critical patients deteriorated in the absence of doctors after the lawyers barged into the hospital and damaged equipment and broke windows and doors.

In the aftermath of the attack, police arrested 81 protesters. On Thursday, an anti-terrorism court in Lahore sent over 46 of them on judicial remand while turning down a police request for their physical remand to investigate char­ges of attacking the PIC. The Shadman police had lodged two FIRs against 200-250 lawyers which included Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

LHC TAKES UP LAWYERS’ PLEA:

Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court (LHC) chief justice was on Friday requested to form a division bench to hear a petition seeking the release of the arrested lawyers. Justice Anwaarul Haq Pannun heard the petition and forwarded the matter to LHC Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Shamim Khan to form a division bench.

There was a heavy presence of law enforcement personnel at and near the LHC premises as lawyers gathered to raise slogans against the police and administration. Protesting lawyers also stormed into the courtroom of Justice Syed Mazahir Ali Akbar Naqvi and sought to end judicial proceedings for the day. “It is my responsibility to ensure continuity of judicial proceedings,” Justice Naqvi told the protesters.

He said it was up to lawyers to decide whether they appear for their cases but there would be no delay on the court’s part. Urging the protesters to resolve the matter, the judge advised them to visit the PIC with flower bouquets and “hug out” their differences with the doctors and administration.

Meanwhile, the Proficient Lawyers Society filed a petition in the LHC seeking answers from the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) over “one-sided” coverage of the matter.

The petition also seeks answers from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority on the viral “controversial” videos showing lawyers attacking the PIC.

It also calls for an explanation from Punjab Police chief Shoaib Dastagir on the alleged use of excessive force against lawyers.

SCBA REJECTS ‘UNLAWFUL ALLEGATIONS’:

In a statement, the SCBAP said the bar association “through a unanimous resolution strongly rejects and condemns the unlawful allegations posed on [the] legal fraternity” in the wake of the PIC incident.

“SCBAP downrightly discards the allegations regarding direct involvement of lawyers community attacking the said hospital rather the lawyers’ community gathered outside the PIC building to record peaceful protest against the unwarranted speech from the goons that have been hiding in the ranks of medical community that was the root cause of the reaction which provoked the whole legal fraternity,” the statement read.

The SCBAP expressed “grave concern” over the “unlawful arrests” of lawyers and “torture […] during their detention and inhumane behaviour with them by the Punjab police”. They said the strike was also in solidarity with Umair Baloch

The high court on Thursday issued a show-cause notice to IHC Bar Association Secretary Muhammad Umair Baloch for “professional misconduct and contempt”. The high court also suspended Baloch’s licence “to practice before [IHC]” until the next hearing, which will be held on December 19.