Lawyers observe countrywide strike against torture by police

Lawyers across the country will today observe a strike against the police’s yesterday’s crackdown on their colleagues outside the Lahore High Court (LHC), reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Thursday.

Heavy police contingents have been deployed outside the Lahore High Court (LHC) in view of likely protest by lawyers against the police’s yesterday’s crackdown on their demonstration, which they had organised to register their protest against the registration of cases against their colleagues under terrorism-related sections and the shifting of courts, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Thursday.   

Two prison vans and water cannons have also reached the nearby GPO Chowk.

It is pertinent to mention here that different bodies of lawyers had yesterday given a call for a complete boycott of court proceedings.

They had also announced they would hold a meeting inside the LHC today as well as at the Aiwan-e-Adal.  

Similarly, in a show of solidarity with their colleagues in Lahore who were baton-charged, teargassed and later bundled into prison vans, all courts in Karachi too will remain closed today.

All litigants who came to the city courts today were stopped at the main gate and were not allowed to go inside.

Sources have told 24News that the prisoners, too, will not be produced in courts today due to the strike.

Police in Lahore arrested several lawyers after breaking up their protest outside the Lahore High Court (LHC) which turned violent during which the law-enforcers lathi-charged and tear-gassed the black coats on Wednesday, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The police fired tear-gas shells and lathi-charged the lawyers who wanted to enter the chief justice’s block in the LHC to register their protest against the registration of cases against their colleagues under terrorism-related sections and consequently their arrests, and also against shifting of some courts to different locations.

The lawyers, in return, threw stones at the heavy police contingent which seemed to be in no mood to spare them.  

The police closed the gates of the high court in order to prevent the entry of protesters into its premises.

Consequently, the lawyers had to move to the GPO Chowk which turned into a battlefield due to their continuous clashes with the police.  

The flow of traffic on The Mall was also disrupted as a result of the lawyers’ protest, a call for which was given by the Lahore High Court Bar and the LHC Bar. The lawyers also tried to remove the barriers set up by the police.

Meanwhile, the authorities have barred entry into Lahore High Court (LHC) of vehicles belonging to the lawyers.

The restriction was slapped by LHC’s security officer.

29 lawyers including Lahore Bar secretary released on personal bail

Police released 29 lawyers including Lahore Bar Secretary Rao Tahisan Sharif, Naeem Tahir and Mian Sharjeel on personal bail, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Thursday.

The lawyers were released late at night. A case against the lawyers for interfering the affairs of state was registered by the Purani Anarkali Police.

Former President Chaudhry Muhammad Ishtiaq says that our demand is the same and we are sticking to our demand.

Reporters: Malik Ashraf, Shaheen Atiq and Jawad Asif