BAHAWALPUR: The Hasilpur police on Friday booked 57 people, including 54 lawyers, under various sections including those of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) for allegedly interfering in the official work, keeping policemen in illegal confinement and holding an unlawful assembly.

Of 54 lawyers, 19 were nominated while the remaining were unidentified.

The nominated lawyers in the FIR include Tehsil Bar Association former president Zahid Mahmood, secretary general Muhammad Tughlaq, Bashir Ahmad, Rao Babar, Aftab Cheema, Farooq Bhatti, Adnan Kahlon, Hafiz Nazir, Allah Rakha Abbasi and Zubair Awan.

Meanwhile, the lawyers observed a strike in protest against the registration of a case against them.

According to police, the trouble began two days ago when a lawyer, Sarwar Tahir, recited a na’at in a mosque using loudspeaker. Police booked Tahir under the Amplifier Act and arrested him.

The lawyers accused the police of raiding the mosque without removing shoes to arrest Tahir. This triggered a wave of anger among the lawyers, who moved an application for registration of an FIR against police which was not entertained.

On Thursday morning, Tahir was produced before the court, which released him on bail.

Police alleged in the FIR that at the time of the hearing of Tahir’s case, over 50 lawyers had assembled on the court premises and assaulted and kept the police officials in illegal confinement.

Meanwhile, three civilians, Owais, Afzal and Sajid, who were also booked along lawyers, were produced before the anti-terrorism court. The court ordered police to delete Section 7 of the ATA against them.

ARRESTED: The Punjab highways police claim to have arrested three armed suspects and impounded two cattle trucks on Jhangiwali Road.

The Sadar police said a snatched motorcycle along with two pistols and rounds were recovered from the possession of three suspects while the two men arrested with trucks were under interrogation.

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2015

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