Protesting lawyers create rumpus in LHC

LAHORE: Tension between the Bar and Bench escalated on Wednesday after lawyers created disturbance in the courtroom of LHC chief justice, demanding quashment of contempt proceedings against the Lahore High Court Bar Association Multan President, Zaman Qureshi, while the bench is pressing hard to bring the delinquent to justice. 

The bench led by the CJ was set to take up the matter at 11am but a large number of lawyers gathered outside the courtroom and chanted slogans against the top judges of Punjab, showing their anger against the judges for summoning their colleagues through warrants.

The bench could not assemble at 11:00am mainly due to lawyers’ uproar but it was learnt that the hearing was delayed owing to the death of an LHC judge’s wife. The protesting lawyers also entered the courtroom No.1 before the full bench assembled and started chanting slogans against the chief justice and in favour of accused lawyers in and outside the courtroom. 

Angry lawyers pounded the desks and uttered derogatory remarks against the LHC CJ. Police contingents were summoned to control the situation. Candidates for LHCBA and Lahore Bar Association elections were prominent among the protesting lawyers.

A delegation of lawyers held a meeting with members of the bench inside the chamber and later told the protesting lawyers that the bench would not sit and the hearing had been adjourned for some other day.

The lawyers dispersed but, later on, the bench assembled and started proceedings at 3:00pm while police commandos were deployed outside the courtroom and no one was allowed to enter the CJ’s courtroom, except a couple of bar’s leaders.  Zaman, who was facing charges of misbehaving with an LHC Judge and obstructing justice, was due before a five-member bench of the Lahore High Court on Wednesday but he could not appear before it.

The court was informed by a leader of the lawyers that they were trying to pacify Multan’s lawyers. He said the general house of LHCBA Multan had passed a resolution against the court’s orders and said they would not appear before it.

The bench, headed by Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, gave the last chance to LHCBA Multan President Zaman Qureshi to appear before the court and adjourned the hearing by August 11.

During the proceedings, the bench observed that the court earlier withdrew non-bailable warrants issued to contemners by showing grace over the repeated requests of the bar’s leaders. The CJ expressed regret that the matter was being given political colour for protection of just an individual.

“Court has powers to make anybody appear before it but it has shown grace as no one can refuse appearance before the court,” the chief justice remarked.  Police personnel who were deployed outside the courtroom of the CJ did not show any resistance to the protesting lawyers and avoided clash.