ISLAMABAD: Lawyers on Monday staged a protest against the 26th constitutional amendment and the meeting of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), which was convened to approve the elevation of eight judges to the Supreme Court.
Hundreds of lawyers holding placards and banners inscribed with slogans criticising the 26th Amendment, demanded the postponement of the judicial commission meeting.
The protesting lawyer also chanted slogans such as “Azaadi” (freedom) and “Lawyers’ unity zindabad” (long live lawyers’ unity).
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Lawyers gathered at different locations in the city under the banner of lawyer action to march towards the Supreme Court but the city police closed all road entry points to the Red Zone.
The city police aiming to avert the entry of protesting lawyers closed all entry points of the Red Zone including D-Chowk, Nadra, Serena and Marriot Chowk and only left Margalla road point for traffic.
A heavy contingent of police was deployed at different points in the city to avert the entry of lawyers into the Red Zone.
The district administration also suspended the Metro Bus Service from Rawalpindi to Islamabad citing security reasons.
The closure of the Red Zone and some other roads badly affected traffic flow and heavy traffic jams and a long queue of vehicles waiting to enter the Red Zone were witnessed on Margalla Road.
Police also parked prison vans at different locations.
Lawyers claimed that despite barricades, some lawyers reached D-Chowkand the Supreme Court.
The lawyer also blocked Srinagar Highway for traffic to record their protest.
The leaders of the Lawyers Action Committee, who have arrived in Islamabad from Karachi and other parts of the country for protest against the passage of the 26th Amendment as well as the JCP meeting, have staged the protest.
Senior lawyer Munir A Malik, while speaking on the occasion, said that lawyers had held protests in the past too, and described the passage of the 26th amendment as “an assault on the judiciary and the state”.
He said that all routes in the federal capital had been sealed in order to prevent lawyers from protesting. Via this protest, we want to convey to the JCP that we are not at all pleased with its meeting, he said.
Senior lawyer Ali Ahmad Kurd said that he would continue to stand by the lawyers on the issue.
Those who passed the amendment at 2:00 in the night should be ashamed of themselves, he said.
Later in the evening, Islamabad High Court (IHC) President Riasat Ali Azad, while announcing the end of the protest, said that lawyers from across the country are reaching the federal capital, therefore, it has been decided to end today’s protest and a protest against the appointment of judges will be staged again.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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