ISLAMABAD: Two joint investigation teams (JITs) have been constituted to probe cases registered against lawyers under Anti-Terrorism Act and Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), sources told Dawn.

Chief Commissioner Islamabad Amer Ahmed Ali issued separate notifications in this regard. The cases against the lawyers were registered in the Ramna and Margalla police stations in connection with their attack on Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Feb 8.

Earlier, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Operations) Islamabad Afzal Ahmed Kausar had requested the chief commissioner to constitute the JITs.

The JITs were constituted under section 19 of ATA.

The SSP investigating has been nominated as the chairman of the JITs with the SSP Counter-Terrorism Department, SP Saddar and representatives of intelligence agencies as its members.

The JIT constituted to probe the case registered with Margalla police also has the subdivisional police officer (SDPO) and SHO of the area as its members.

Similarly, the SDPO and SHO Ramna and an investigating officer are members of the JIT constituted to investigate the cases registered with Ramna police.

The JITs were directed to seek assistance of Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) and District Bar Association during the investigation.

IHBA President Chaudhry Haseeb Mohammad told Dawn that during hearing of the case at the IHC the police were asked not to harass families of lawyers and not to arrest those who had nothing to do with the cases.

The lawyers informed the court that the police were harassing the families of the lawyers, including women. Besides, raids were also being conducted without warrants and lawyers who are not involved in the incident were being harassed, he added.

The court asked the police to arrest the lawyers after verification, he added. He said 14 lawyers had so far been arrested by the police and two of them were released after they were found innocent.

The other 12 lawyers are in Adiala jail on judicial remand, Mr Haseeb said.

The cases against 15 lawyers were registered with Margalla police on Feb 8 under 7ATA, PPCs 353, 186, 148, 149, 506ii and 427.

The lawyers damaged fixture and fitting of the courtrooms of the district and sessions courts Islamabad, and beat police officials present there.

The cases registered with Raman police the same day were against 250 lawyers under 7ATA and 353, 186, 342, 341, 440, 427, 506, 147 and 149 of PPC.The lawyers allegedly barged into the IHC, causing damages to fixtures and fittings.

On the other hand, during the hearing of the case on Monday, IHCBA Secretary Sohail Akbar Chaudhry and Vice President Imran Shaukat assured the court that those involved in the incident would be proceeded against.

IHC Chief justice Athar Minallah observed that the incident was undoubtedly unforgivable because the authority of the court was challenged. This disgraceful and undignified act would be taken to its logical conclusion so that it is never repeated again.

However, the chief justice said he had confidence in the bars that they would play an effective role in upholding the dignity of the profession by assisting the investigators.

In a letter written to the chief justice of IHC, Pakistan Bar Council said: “We will, however, go to the maximum extent to purge the legal profession of irresponsible and undesirable elements responsible to earn bad name for legal profession by resorting to indiscipline and unethical pursuits of damaging the dignity, prestige and respect of our proud judiciary and to lower down the noble profession of the lawyers.”Meanwhile, SP Sarfarz Virk, who appeared in the IHC in connection the cases on Monday morning, was transferred to the Islamabad Traffic Police. He was member of the JITs.

SP retired Capt Hamzah Humayun was appointed as the SP Saddar and he would replace SP Virk as the JITs’ member.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2021