Islamabad High Court violent protest: FIRs registered against lawyers who stormed IHC

ISLAMABAD: Police on Monday booked the lawyers who stormed the Islamabad High Court (IHC) building and vandalised the property there in response to the Capital Development Authority's (CDA) action against illegal structures. 

A press release from the high court announced that FIRs have been registered against all the lawyers involved in the violence, adding that police are conducting raids to apprehend those involved in the incident. 

Twenty-one lawyers have been booked by police for being involved in the protest and separate contempt of court proceedings will be initiated against those found guilty of the offence, read the high court's press release.

The IHC stated that it had sent a reference to the Islamabad Bar Council to suspend the licenses of the lawyers who were involved in the protest.

Lawyers' mob smashes windows of CJ block to protest CDA's action

A mob of lawyers smashed windows in the Chief Justice block, chanting slogans outside the IHC Chief Justice's office in a violent protest against the recent action by the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

The CDA had on Sunday night demolished illegal chambers set up by lawyers in the premises of the district and sessions court in Islamabad.

Sources had said the Special Security Unit was not present when the lawyers started their protest.

Officers from the Islamabad police arrived at the scene after considerable delay, sources had confirmed

IHC CJ Athar Minallah was reportedly forced to confine himself to his chamber as the violence unfolded.

The protesting lawyers chanted slogans against the IHC CJ, while journalists and several protesters had clashed when the journalists tried to record footage of the hooliganism on display.

The entrances to the IHC were closed since 10 am, sources said, adding that lawyers and clerks had been barred from entering, and the service road leading to the court premises were also closed.