ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) and its sub-divisional courts remained closed for a second day on Tuesday, after hundreds of lawyers stormed into the court building and vandalised it.
On Monday, an angry mob protesting the demolition of their illegally constructed chambers by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) besieged the courtroom and the chamber of IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah, holding him hostage for around three hours.
Photos and videos from the site show the mob breaking the windows and doors of the Chief Justice Block (CJB) and refusing to accept Justice Minallah’s calls for calm.
The protesting lawyers also manhandled the staff and even beat up the superintendent of police deployed at the CJB. They forcibly stopped the media from covering the incident and also beat up some journalists.
The siege continued until paramilitary Rangers and police reinforcements took control of the situation.
Due to the tense situation, the security for the high court as well as the Supreme Court remained beefed up on Tuesday, with heavy contingents of police and Rangers guarding the premises.
Late on Monday, Islamabad police booked 21 lawyers under various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Police also said it were conducting raids in various parts of the capital to arrest the accused and added separate contempt of court proceedings would also be initiated against those found involved in vandalism.
