Chief Justice (CJ) Lahore High Court (LHC) Khwaja Muhammad Sharif has regretted and condemned police torture on the lawyers in the Lahore Bar Association (LBA) here on Saturday. In a meeting with President Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) Mian Abdul Qaddus and Imrana Baloch here last day, CJ strongly slammed the police violence on the lawyers and directed the Inspector General of Police, Punjab, to release with immediate effect all lawyers taken into custody.
The CJ also required the police to take care and do not commit excess and avoid going to torture while implementing the law. Mian Abdul Qaddus invited attention of the CJ to what had happened with the lawyers at the hand of police at Aiwan-e-Adl. He said the police resorted to third degree lathi charge and torture against the lawyers and took a number of them into custody without any tangible reason. The CJ also assured the Bar president that no hurdle would be tolerated in the way of accepting legitimate demands of the lawyers and at the same time, required of the lawyers to fulfil their responsibilities while respecting the norms of law.
Meanwhile, a highly tight security was maintained outside and inside the LHC premises last day. In particular the thoroughfare leading to the courtroom and chamber of the CJ was tightly guarded by the police in uniform and plain clothes. Lawyers were not allowed free movement in that area. The security arrangements were kept up till the late night. A group of lawyers in the LHCBA chanted condemnation slogans against the arrest and torture on the city lawyers. They also demanded ouster of the Chief Justice LHC.