LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif has recommended and sanctioned the payment of a grant of Rs 2 million for the Lahore Bar and Rs 3 million for the members who suffered injuries and humiliation at the hands of police during the crackdown on the Aiwan I Adl on October 1st.
The Rs 5 million grant to the Lahore Bar and its injured members comes as a last effort by the Chief Justice, retiring on December 8 (tomorrow) to extend a friendly gesture to the lawyers of the Lahore District Bar who held the CJ responsible for the police crackdown on lawyers during protests against District & Session Judges Zawar Ahmed Sheikh.
A press release issued by the Lahore High Court Registrar on Monday said, “The Chief Justice Khawaja Shairf has repeatedly condemned events triggered off by the September 30 incident during which, contrary to clear instructions to police to exercise restraint, gross excesses were committed by elements within the police, causing injuries to members of the legal fraternity and damage to furniture and installations at the Civil Courts premises.”
The hand out noted that “the LHC Chief Justice Khawaja Sharif has recommended and sanctioned the payment of the grant through (i) a cheque of Rs 3 million to cover the medical and healthcare expenses incurred and to be incurred by Lahore bar members of who suffered injuries and humiliation at the hands of police and (ii) a further cheque in sum of Rs 2 million for the Lahore Bar Association.”
The cheques have been handed over to the Advocate General Punjab and shall be delivered to the Lahore Bar Association President for the purpose cited.
