A clash between lawyers erupted during the hearing of license suspension case of a lawyer at Punjab Bar Council on Saturday. Chairman of the Executive Committee, Rana Mohammad Asif was investigating the suspension of the license of Naureen, junior lawyer of Afaq Ahmad. During this investigation, hot words were exchanged which resulted in violence breaking out that last an hour. According to details, the team escorting Naureen threw a table at Rana Mohamad Arif. Upon hearing this, the employees at Punjab Bar Council locked the doors of the room from inside and a fist-fight ensued.
Upon hearing the news, a large contingent of police and lawyers reached the spot but could not enter the building. The fight concluded with several broken teeth and other minor injuries.
The Executive Committee of the Punjab Bar Council (PbBC) on Saturday suspended the licenses of eight lawyers, including Vice President of the Supreme Court Bar Association Imrana Parveen Baloch for storming an executive committee meeting and abusing its members.
The lawyers, whose licences were suspended, included Ms
Humera Bashir, Afaq Ahmad, Irshad Baig, Abdul Majeed Dogar, Hafiz Tariq, Shakeela Rana, Imrana Parveen Baloch and Shahid Nadeem Shaukat.
The PbBC executive committee, in its order, observed that the attack was pre-planned and manoeuvered by Ms Imrana Parveen Baloch, wherein a PbBC official was also subjected to torture by the lawyers.
The executive committee decided to forward the matter to a tribunal for further proceedings through PbBC Disciplinary Committee, in the interest of justice.
However, it was learnt that the above said lawyers along others entered the PbBC committee room where the executive committee meeting was going on. The lawyers started agitation against the chairman over restoring licence of a lawyer, Altaf, who was involved in subjecting to torture a female lawyer of Burewala. Later, the situation turned violent and lawyers were subjected to torture by the PbBC employees.
The lawyers agitated the matter with the disciplinary committee and demanded to cancel licence of Rana Asif,
Chairman Executive Committee.
Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee Asad Mehmood assured the lawyers that the action would be taken as per law.
The lawyers announced that they would get a case registered against the chairman of Executive Committee for subjecting the lawyers to torture.
Lawyers stay away from courts: The lawyers, on the call of Punjab Bar Council observed complete boycott of court proceedings Saturday to record their protest against the opening of NATO supply routes by the government l.
Owing to complete strike, no lawyer appeared in the courts disappointing the litigants who came from far-flung areas. Pending cases were also adjourned due to the absence of lawyers in the courts.
The lawyers said that the government compromised the country’s sovereignty to restore NATO supply routes. They said the United States had not stopped drone attacks nor did they tender an apology while the government opened the routes.
The lawyers have also requested Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry to take notice of the reopening of NATO supply routes.