March 19, 2008	Wednesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 10, 1429

SIALKOT, March 18: Daska city police have registered a case against at least 48 lawyers for storming revenue courts and offices of the revenue deputy district officer (DDO), tehsildar and sub-registrar on Monday.

Several lawyers reacted to a patwaris’ demonstration against them at the civil courts complex on Monday. The patwaris demonstrated to show solidarity with revenue officers after the DDO(R) ordered impounding of a lawyer’s car parked in front of the main gate of the compound of his office without permission a few days ago. The police impounded the vehicle on which some lawyers allegedly misbehaved with the DDO(R).

The patwaris carrying hockeys, clubs and iron rods reached the civil courts and chanted slogans against lawyers, which instigated the lawyers and several people from both sides were injured in the ensuing scuffle. Later, the lawyers stormed the revenue courts and destroyed furniture and fixture and official records.

The police finally baton-charged the lawyers and also used teargas to disperse them.

Advocates Malik Sakhawat Ali, Riaz Ahmad Ghuman, Khalid Javaid Cheema, Muhammad Javaid, Muhammad Arshad Mayo, Shehzad Sadiq Cheema, Aamir Farooq Ghuman and Mubashar Hussain Bhatti are among those booked under Sections 106, 148, 149, 353, 440 and 506 of the Pakistan Penal Code. However, no arrest has been made so far.

Meanwhile, the patwaris on Tuesday observed a pen-down strike to protest the Monday’s ransacking of revenue courts.

District and Sessions Judge (D&SJ) Suhaib Ahmad Roomi has ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident and appointed Daska Additional District and Sessions Judge (AD&SJ) Khwaja Zafar Iqbal inquiry officer.

JUDICIAL COMPLEX: All courts in Daska will be shifted to newly-constructed judicial complex on the bank of BRB Canal after its completion by the end of this year.

This was stated by D&SJ Suhaib Ahmad Roomi while addressing the oath-taking ceremony of office-bearers of Tehsil Bar Association (TBA) in Daska on Tuesday.Daska ADSJs Khwaja Zafar Iqbal, Khwaja Muhammad Ajmal and Muhammad Zafar Chaudhry, civil judges Shakil Ahmad, Ilyas Rehan and Hakim Khan, Sialkot District Bar Association (DBA) President Arshad Mahmood Baggu, Pasrur TBA President Amajd Bajwa and Daska TBA President Chaudhry Jamil Akhtar and Secretary Yasir Nazir Dhillu were also present.

The D&SJ said the Punjab government had released another grant of Rs5 million to ensure the completion of the project on time. A barroom would also be constructed there to facilitate lawyers. He formed a monitoring committee consisting of two judges and as many senior TBA lawyers to supervise the project.

Advocate Arshad Baggu said senior lawyers should encourage their junior fellows to help them excel in their careers. He said the frontline role of the lawyers’ community in the restoration of the pre-Nov 3 judiciary would be remembered for a long time to come.

Advocate Jamil Akhtar pledged to solve the lawyers’ problems swiftly.

Later, the D&SJ administered oath to the newly-elected officials of the Daska TBA.