At least 23 lawyers injured seriously in a clash between the lawyers and the law enforcing agencies in Multan on Tuesday. A violent mob of lawyers destroyed the office of City District Nazim on Tuesday, broke its window panes, and furniture and they also hurled stones on the police bosses when police entered the bar room during the protest meeting and gave severe beating to senior lawyers.
Police also raided the lawyers' chambers and tortured them in their chambers. Hundreds of lawyers showed a clean pair of heels from back doors of the district courts. Police also damaged the vehicles of lawyers and their clients parked at the stand. District Bar president Muhammad Akram Bhatti said, "Police entered the bar room and lawyers chambers and gave them severe beating and also dragged lawyers on the roads besides teargassing".
He said that police damaged more than 150 cars with the batons and bricks. They broke windscreens of almost all the vehicles parked at the stand. He said that there was no instance of raiding the bar room in the past. Court officials also left their offices due to suffocation and teargas. Seven lawyers injured seriously while more than 200 sustained minor injuries, Bhatti claimed.
He further said that three lawyers were taken into custody from the district courts. Police also beat a number of journalists and photographers who were snapping the police torture. Regional Police Officer Multan Mirza Muhammad Ali said that some adventurists led by Adil Masud attempted to jump out of district courts to stage a demonstration at Chowk Kutchery.
Then police took action and foiled their attempt. Upon this lawyers started brick batting on policemen and they also manhandled a cop who was on City District Nazim's duty.
Police resorted to baton charge in High Court Bar and gave severe beating to president of High Court Bar Habibullah Shakir, Malik Haider Usman former president, Altaf Bukhari, Rashid Rehman of HRCP, Usman Bhatti, Mumtaz Hussain, Tariq Saeed, Chaudhry Sanaullah and Muhammad Azhar.
Police later arrested them except Habibullah Shakir. Shakir said, "Pervez Elahi wants to crush the lawyers' movement for the pleasure of General Pervez Musharraf but he should keep in miind that lawyers cannot be crushed by force and this movement would take further momentum.
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