LAHORE: A Lahore High Court (LHC) bench on Tuesday recused itself from hearing an appeal, filed against the conviction of a lawyer for hitting a civil judge with a chair during proceedings of a case, and referred the matter to the LHC chief justice with a request for fixing it before another bench.
The division bench comprising Justice Shehram Sarwar Chaudhry and Justice Anwaarul Haq Pannun heard the appeal and bail petition filed by Imran Manj, the lawyer convicted for hitting the judge.
Earlier, the defence counsel questioned the sentence handed down to the appellant, saying that anti-terrorism court (ATC) gave 18 years sentence without considering the facts in the case.
He argued that it was a severe punishment for a “minor crime”. He pleaded with the court for setting aside the sentence.
The bench, after hearing arguments, reserved its verdict. But, later on, it referred it to the LHC CJ with a request for fixing it before another bench.
Meanwhile, the legal fraternity observed strike in protest against the ATC decision in the case for a second day.
The lawyers boycotted the court proceedings at a sessions courts, civil courts and other subordinate courts on a call given by the Punjab Bar Council. The lawyers also observed partial boycott at the Lahore High Court.
Earlier, lawyers boycotted the court proceedings on May 24 in connection with the matter.
A Faisalabad ATC handed down 18-year imprisonment collectively to the accused lawyer, Imran Manj, under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 324 and other sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), on Thursday.
Advocate Rana Imran Manj had assaulted Senior Civil Judge Khalid Mahmood Warraich with a chair in Jaranwala during hearing of a case on April 25.
