Police arrested more than 100 lawyers from district courts, bar rooms, library, bar canteen and lawyers' chambers, who attempted to take out rally against the arrest of lawyers. The charged police personnel also ransacked bar room ands damaged its furniture and broke glasses. Three policemen were injured due to brick pelting by lawyers.
The clash started when the lawyers after holding their general house meeting with their senior vice president Lubna Mahmood in the chair, tried to take out protest rally with deliberate violation of the Section-144. Heavy police contingents, wearing anti riot kits forced the lawyers to remain in the premises of the bar. The lawyers hurled brick pieces and bottles at the police injuring three police personnel.
On this the police fired tear gas shells inside the bar and court premises and resorted to indiscriminate baton charge. After about half an hour a group of charged lawyers again tried to take out the rally and hurled stones at the police. At this police entered the Aiwan-e-Adal and held a thorough search operation to arrest the lawyers.
Earlier the lawyers hold general body meeting, which was addressed by LBA President Sajid Bashir via telephone from police custody. He said lawyers would continue their protest till the fulfilment of their demands and added they did not afraid of their arrests. After the incident, a group of lawyers reached at the Lahore High Court (LHC) and tried to proceed towards the court of the chief justice while chanting slogans. The police did not let them head towards the court and stopped them.
However, police allowed only Lahore High Court Bar Association President Mian Abdul Quddus and a lady member Imrana Baloch to meet CJ. According to Quddus, the CJ condemned the incident of police torture on lawyers. He said the CJ directed the IG police to release all the arrested lawyers.
It may be mentioned police had registered two FIRs on Thursday against LBA cabinet and 12 others lawyers in Old Anarkali police station and Islampura police station under provisions of Ant-terrorism Act 1997 and arrested them. The bar members were protesting against the attitude of district and sessions judge Lahore Zawwar Ahmed Sheikh and demanded his transfer.
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