Police fire water cannon as lawyers turn violent at LHC

lahore — Police on Monday fired tear gas and water cannon on protesting lawyers who turned violent at the Lahore High Court (LHC) where contempt of court proceedings were under way against the president of the Lahore High Court Bar Association’s (LHCBA) Multan chapter.

The lawyers had gathered at the entrance gate of the Chief Justice block and as soon as the court issued the arrest warrant against LHCBA Multan president Sher Zaman Qureshi, they went on rampage.

The court also issued directions for the suspension of licences of Qureshi and Syed Qaiser Abbas Kazmi.

Qureshi, along with some lawyers, had allegedly misbehaved with Justice Mohammed Qasim Khan in Multan during court proceedings last month.

LHC Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah had taken a strong notice of the lawyers’ high-handedness and constituted a committee to probe the matter. The lawyers threw stones at law enforcement personnel, dislodged a gate inside the court and raised slogans inside the court premises. Their attempt to storm the CJ block was thwarted as anti-riot police used tear gas and water cannon to force them out of the court premises.

The lawyers then continued their protest at the Mall Road, which was subsequently blocked for traffic.

Later, the lawyers gathered at the judges’s gate again and staged sit-in to protest against the full bench’s orders.

Earlier, a LHC full bench issued non-bailable arrest warrants of HCBA-Multan President Sher Zaman Qureshi after he failed to appear despite several opportunities for the purpose.

The bench ordered RPO Multan to arrest Sher Zaman and produce him before the bench on August 22, while suspending his licence.

LHC Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah headed the bench ,whereas Justice Muhammad Anwaarul Haq, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti and Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza were its members.

Police stopped using tear gas and water cannon after the lawyers gave assurance that they would continue their protest peacefully.

According to rescue sources, 10 people including seven lawyers sustained injuries during the clash. They were taken to the city’s Mayo Hospital.

LHCBA President Zulfiqar Chaudhry, meanwhile, announced that lawyers would observe a strike across Punjab on Tuesday.

He warned that by acting against lawyers, the authorities were taking the situation to a point where “things would no longer be in their control”. The protesting lawyers told the local media that they would hold a protest sit-in outside the court overnight and remain there until the LHC chief justice is replaced. — APP