SC orders demolition of lawyers chambers, says their location is illegal

The Supreme Court (SC) ordered on Tuesday the demolition of illegally constructed chambers of lawyers in F-8 area Islamabad.

A three-member apex court bench headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed dismissed the Islamabad Bar's plea and upheld the Islamabad High Court's (IHC) verdict in ordering the demolishing of the chambers.

Rejecting the lawyers' request for time until they get an alternative place for chambers, the SC said all the lawyers' chambers set up at football ground are illegal, and no illegal activity can be justified, Radio Pakistan reported.

During the last hearing, the SC has barred the Capital Development Authority from demolishing the chambers of lawyers. The SC had also issued notices to the attorney-general and advocate-general.

Following the demolition of illegal chambers in district and sessions court in Islamabad on February 8, lawyers stormed into the IHC, attacked the Chief Justice Block and detained him as well as other judges for a couple of hours.

Chanting slogans, the lawyers demanded the formation of a joint investigation team to identify those responsible for demolishing the chambers.