ISLAMABAD: A one-man commission constituted by the Islamabad Bar Council (IBC) to investigate rampage of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Feb 8, 2021 highlighted the specific role played by lawyers in the attack on the Chief Justice Block.

Rana Abid Nazir Khan submitted the report before the IBC, which states that “part-time lawyers” and those who had some vested interests were active in attacking the IHC.

The report gave a detailed background relating to the incident with regards to demolition of the lawyers’ chambers by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) district administration on Feb 7. There were three categories of lawyers who participated and facilitated the attack on the IHC, the report stated, adding that 17 of them were directly affected since their chambers were demolished during the operation.

These lawyers include Nazia Abbasi, Ahsan Majeed Gujjar, Younis Kiani, Mirza Ateequr Rehman, Asadullah, Khawar Dhniyal, Ghulam Nabi Baloch, Rao Sabir Hussain, Imdadullah, Musawar Hussain, Shuja Ullah, Shafqat Inqalabi, Tanvir Sial, Mushtaq Khaki, Sardar Hamza Shehroze, Hassan Sajjad and Chaudhry Sajjad.

As many as 20 lawyers were in the second category, who were not directly affected by the CDA operation but were present at the scene. Their names are Chaudhry Mohammad Naseer, Shahid Kamal Khan, Naseer Kiani, Ayub Arbab Gujjar, Zafar Khokhar, Asif Irfan, Navid Hayat Malik, Dilawar Khan, Asif Tamboli, Nafees Khan, Roman Kiani, Mustafa Qadri, Kamran Yousafzai, Hassan Sajjad, Ali Shan Kamboh, Ubaid Ullah Shah, Usman Nasir, Khalid Taj, Chaudhry Tanvir Akhtar and Sami Wazir.

Lawyers in the third category are those who were coincidentally present at the time of the incident, in relation to hearing of petitions, the report states, adding that senior lawyers Chaudhry Naseer, Ayub Arbab Gujjar, Shahid Kamal Khan and Naseer Kiani delivered fiery speeches provoking other lawyers against the IHC chief justice and instigated them to surround the IHC.

The report also referred to arrival of IHC Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani in the bar room and addressing angry lawyers.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2021