March 18, 2008	Tuesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 9, 1429

SIALKOT, March 17: Dozens of lawyers stormed revenue courts in Daska on Monday and destroyed infrastructure and official records after some revenue officials (patwaris) staged a demonstration against them to protest their alleged misbehaviour with a revenue deputy district officer (DDO).

Earlier, patwaris carrying sticks and iron rods demonstrated to protest former Daska Tehsil Bar Association president Malik Sakhawat Ali and some others’ alleged misbehaviour with Revenue DDO Naveed Hyder Shirazi, who ordered impounding of Sakhawat’s motorcar from the parking lot of his office a couple of days ago.

A few days ago, DDO Shirazi had stopped visitors or locals from parking any vehicle in the compound of his office in view of worsening security situation.

Advocate Malik Sakhawat had parked his car in front of the main gate of this parking lot on which Daska city police impounded the vehicle under Section 550 of the Cr.P.C on the directives of the DDO.

Malik Sakhawat and some other lawyers allegedly abused the DDO for ordering impounding of his vehicle. This had annoyed the revenue officials and around 75 patwaris took out a rally at around 10am on Monday against lawyers to show solidarity with their officer.

The demonstrators led by Anjuman Patwariyan president Saifullah Cheema resorted to sloganeering against lawyers on civil courts premises, which instigated the lawyers, and seven patwaris and several lawyers were injured in the ensuing scuffle in which both sides pelted stones and bricks on each other. The injured were later hospitalised.

Infuriated lawyers led by Malik Sakhawat and Riaz Ahmad Ghumman then stormed the courts and offices of Revenue DDO, tehsildar and sub-registrar and destroyed infrastructure and records.

A police contingent surrounded the area at around 11:30am and baton-charged the lawyers. The police also used tear gas to disperse the lawyers. The teargas also affected locals, including students of nearby institutions.

Later, the patwaris and the lawyers went on strike, halting proceedings in almost all civil and revenue courts.

DDO Shirazi, Tehsildar Ashfaq Ahmad and Sub-registrar Fiaz Ahmad Mohal later filed separate applications for registration of separate cases against the lawyers. However, no case has been registered till the filing of this report.

SEIZED: The Daska police on Monday seized an unlicenced pistol from a suspect who appeared in the court of a local additional sessions judge (ASJ) to get his interim bail confirmed in a hurt case.

Aamir Suhail, a police constable, who is placed under suspension from service for torturing his colleague constable Yasir Maqsood, appeared before ASJ Muhammad Ajmal to get his pre-arrest bail affirmed.

When Aamir reached the courtroom, the police frisked him and later seized a pistol from his possession. He was later arrested and handed over to the City police for interrogation. Subsequently, he was sent to jail.