Latif Khosa, other lawyers get stuck in IHC elevator

ISLAMABAD: Latif Khosa, a lawyer of the PTI chairman, remained stuck in an elevator of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for half an hour when he was on his way back after the hearing of Toshakhana case.

Several lawyers, including the legal team of PTI chairman, remained stuck in the elevator for half an hour or so.

Advocate Naeem Haider Panjotha, Ali Ijaz Buttar and some other lawyers were among those in the elevator when it broke down midway.

The IHC staff couldn’t open the door despite repeated attempts and lawyers also tried to break it but failed. Khosa entered the elevator from the second floor but it couldn’t reach the ground floor. The door was later broken by the rescue officials.

The incident took place when Khosa along with other lawyers were on his way back after giving arguments on a plea seeking suspension of the deposed premier’s punishment.

A total of 19 people, including a media person, were onboard the lift when it stopped functioning abruptly. After a span of over 30 minutes, a fire and rescue team reached the spot and rescued the lawyers safely from the lift stuck on the second floor of the IHC.

The people entered the elevator at 12 noon on the third floor at the Islamabad High Court and were rescued at 12:45pm.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has demanded that Chief Justice Islamabad High Court (IHC) Aamir Farooq probe the incident that occurred on the IHC premises wherein Latif Khosa along with other lawyers remained trapped inside an elevator for almost an hour.

In a joint statement issued here on Friday, Abid S Zubairi, SCBA president, and Muqtadir Akhtar Shabbir, secretary, showed their deep concerns over the incident after the lawyers were successfully rescued by the emergency services of Capital Development Authority (CDA). They said it was ironic to note that the IHC staff did not do anything to help the trapped lawyers. “In this incident, we cannot overrule the possibility of sabotage which needs to be thoroughly investigated,” they said.

They demanded a fair probe to know whether it was a deliberate attempt on the life and safety of Khosa and other lawyers or was indeed a genuine malfunction. “The circumstances surrounding the elevator malfunction and subsequent rescue operation raise questions about the safety protocols and maintenance practices within the court premises,” they said, adding that as the legal community, they stood united against any attempts to hinder the pursuit of justice and legal advocacy.

Also, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf claimed that its Chairman Imran Khan’s legal team was “harassed” by confining them in an elevator for 45 minutes at the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

Condemning the incident, the former ruling party urged President Arif Alvi and Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial to launch a probe into the incident immediately.