The Chief Justice of Lahore High Court (LHC) allowed further time to bar representatives for appearance of contemnor Sher Zaman Qureshi, president High Court Bar Association-Multan, before the court. PBC vice chairman Ahsan Bhoon, Ghulam Sarwar Nehang and Lahore High Court Bar Association President Ch Zulfiqar Ali joined the in-camera proceedings by the bench.
The bar council leaders undertook before the bench headed by Chief Justice that disciplinary action would be taken against Qureshi by Saturday (today) while they would ensure his presence in the court on next hearing. The bench accordingly adjourned hearing to August 21.
The police had locked the iron-grill safety gates installed in the corridors of the CJ block when the lawyers started gathering and denied access to the block. Dozens of lawyers gathered and chanted slogans against Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah for issuing contempt notice to their colleagues.
As decided by a general house meeting of the Bar, the president did not appear before the bench seized with the contempt proceedings while other contemnor Syed Qaiser Abbas Kazmi attended the hearing.
On previous hearing, the supporters of president Qureshi had barged into the courtroom of the chief justice and created a hostile situation for five judges of the larger bench to assemble and resume the proceedings. This time around over hundred non-political lawyers also gathered at the LHC to show their support for, what they said the rule of law in response to unfortunate event when the protesting lawyers stormed the chief justice's court.
Salman Akram Raja, Mansoor Awan, Saad Rasool, Faisal Naqvi, Ahmad Rafay Alam and Sarah Belal were prominent among the gathering. They were of the view that their primary objective was upholding dignity of both lawyers and courts. They lauded the intervention of the bar councils and associations and senior lawyers in the matter saying the primary responsibility of maintain discipline lies with the legal community itself.
Former president of Supreme Court Bar Association Asma Jahangir also joined them and condemned the incidents of hooliganism by lawyers. She said majority of the legal fraternity did not support the conduct of the Multan's lawyers. She said nobody, even the prime minister, was above the law. She said Advocate Sher Zaman Qureshi must appear before the court as there was no exception.