ISLAMABAD: Scores of lawyers protesting against the demolition of their chambers by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) during an anti-encroachment operation last night wreaked havoc on the Islamabad High Court (IHC) building on Monday.
Lawyers attacking CJ Minallah’s chambers at the islamabad high court to protest the bulldozing of their illegal chambers last night. pic.twitter.com/3cfylnNf9D
— Salaar Khan (@Brainmasalaar) February 8, 2021
The clearance operation against the encroachments outraged the legal community who barged into the Chief Justice Block (CJB) of the high court and broke windows.
They also chanted slogans against IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah outside his chamber, leaving him trapped inside. Reports suggest Justice Minallah was inside his chamber at the time.
Officials of the Special Security Unit (SSU) were not present when the lawyers entered the block and arrived much later.
There were no reports of injuries as of the writing of this report. Female staffers were evacuated from the CJB and other judges of the high court also arrived at the scene.
Late on Sunday night, an enforcement team as part of the authority’s anti-encroachment drive had destroyed several lawyers’ chambers built on the premises of the District and Session Court in F-8 Markaz and retrieved state-owned land.
The move came days after the Islamabad administration on the direction of Prime Minister Imran Khan prepared a list of 80 people allegedly involved in land grabbing activities.
Following the orders of the prime minister, the police and the capital administration on Thursday put seven purported land grabbers behind bars for 90 days under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, 1960.
On Monday, the protesting lawyers also verbally clashed with a Rangers official, who had arrived with other officials at the CJB. The official was stopped at the entrance.
Proceedings in district courts as well as in IHC were suspended and petitioners were stopped from entering the building.
The road outside the court was blocked for traffic. The lawyers also misbehaved with reporters who were present on the scene and were recording videos.
Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) Qazi Jamilur Rehman and Secretary of Interior Yousuf Naseem Khokhar also arrived at the premises.
On the occasion, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani and IHC Bar Association President Haseeb Chaudhry urged the rioters to opt for dialogue.
“Until you people put your stance before us, we will not be able to solve the problem,” said Justice Kiyani, inviting the protestors to talk in the bar room.
The lawyers said that they “will not talk until our chambers are restored”.
They also claimed that some of their colleagues were arrested. “Write the names of the lawyers who have been arrested, [I’ll] order the SP straight away [to release them],” Justice Kiyani assured them.
The judge lamented that lawyers have caused “double trouble” by attacking the high court chief justice’s chamber.
“Lawyers have crossed the head of their house, now I will have to placate him as well,” he said. “A chief justice is a chief justice, you have put his credibility and verdicts at stake.”
Haseeb also asked the lawyers to submit their demands and assured them that he would get them fulfilled.
