Just the way we as a nation come out on the streets to protest almost everything going wrong, lawyers as a group have emerged as an angry cluster ready to thrash whatever and whomever they have a problem with.

This display of aggression, frustration and complete madness is not something that came to light just because of the recent incident outside the Lahore High Court. In fact the group showed what they are capable of when they beat up former MNA Sher Afgan Niazi on April 8, 2008 while the country watched the scene on their televisions. Some condemned the incident, others agreed that this was the only way to teach the man a lesson. What lesson did we learn from the lawyers?

When fighting for a free judiciary, the country was out to support the lawyers’ movement, protesting with them, writing for them and eventually celebrating with them. Could it be that this massive support group that we emerged into has caused this group to believe that they are above the law? These very people we choose to represent us, help us and sometimes save us, have seemed to evolve into well-dressed thugs.

Last week, a group of lawyers manhandled reporters and cameramen while in the premise of the Lahore High Court. Before that embarrassing episode, the members of the same group had thrashed an ASI and reporters in a session court. Scan the papers today and you’ll find another story about lawyers not only beating up a sub-inspector in Lahore, but also snatching official records of a case that didn’t go in the direction they had hoped for. What’s more tragic is that this behaviour isn’t restricted to the courtrooms. A group of lawyers thrashed a traffic warden on The Mall last month because the officer had the audacity to stop a lawyer’s motorcycle for traffic violation.

The invincibility complex has to go.

As it is, we are sceptical when it comes to trusting the men in uniform – this apprehension can now be passed on to the men in black coats too. Our legal system is supposed to depend on our lawyers, yet over and over again, they try their very hardest to dissuade us from having faith in them.

If a police officer, be it a constable or an ASI cannot expect respect from lawyers, I don’t see how these lawyers can expect respect from a country rapidly growing weary of their behaviour. Blaming all these incidents on a couple of black sheep won’t do either – those exist in every system. We already have numerous groups and individuals in our society who think they are above the law but when those supposed to be upholding the sanctity of the law start assuming the same mindset, one can only imagine where the legal system is headed towards.

Shyema Sajjad is a Desk Editor for Dawn.com.

The views expressed by this blogger and in the following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.