LAHORE, March 19: Lawyers observed on Saturday partial strike across the Punjab against the demolition of chambers and police action against their colleagues at Gujjar Khan and Rawalpindi. The community generally ignored the call for the day long strike given by the Punjab Bar Council in major cities but PBC vice-chairman Chaudhry Asghar Gill said the boycott in towns and smaller cities was complete.
The lawyers of Lahore, Faisalabad and Multan almost ignored it as they appeared before courts as usual. However, official sources said the lawyers in Rawalpindi and elsewhere in the district did not appear in courts. They have been boycotting courts for over one week now.
Mr Gill said the community would continue their move till a “genuine” inquiry into the Rawalpindi incident where police entered the bar premises to baton charge and teargas the lawyers who were holding a peaceful rally in protest against demolition of chambers at Gujjar Khan.
Pakistan Bar Council vice-chairman Mahmood Akhtar told Dawn that any inquiry into the “unprecedented” incident at a level lower than the Supreme Court would mean that the administration wanted to dilute the situation. He reiterated the demand of probe by a judge of the apex court from outside the Punjab.
He said some 50 chambers were demolished although they existed for decades. “It is a repetition of what happened on Fane Road in Lahore and those responsible for that may be behind Gujjar Khan incident,” he added.
Meanwhile, lawyers are scheduled to hold a conference at Rawalpindi on Monday to work out future course of action. The Pakistan and the Punjab bar councils have committed themselves to attend the moot in a situation that the two additional sessions judges, Sardar Mohammad Babar and Mohammad Rafiq, have been transferred from Gujjar Khan to Lahore — one of the lawyers’ demands.
Sources told Dawn that the Lahore High Court administration has shown willingness to transfer Rawalpindi district and sessions judge Asad Raza. The administration has also agreed to institute a judicial inquiry into the demolition of some 50 chambers of lawyers at Gujjar Khan on March 11 and subsequent police action at Gujjar Khan and awalpindi. However, the lawyers demand of the inquiry being conducted by a Supreme Court judge from outside the Punjab is not being considered.
