Lawyers protest for new regional benches

LAHORE: A large number of lawyers from different divisions of the province held a protest outside the courtroom of the Lahore High Court chief justice and later outside the Punjab Assembly to press their demand for the creation of new benches of the high court in their respective divisions.

The lawyers holding placards and banners marched towards the courtroom of the chief justice despite being stopped by the police. They chanted slogans for establishment of the regional benches of the high court and threatened to lockdown district courts in their respective divisions on Nov 14 if the demand was not fulfilled.

Later, the lawyers marched on the Mall and gathered outside the Punjab Assembly to register their protest. They also torched tyres and kept the road blocked almost for an hour. Some of the lawyers marched little ahead and also protested outside the Punjab Governor House. It is to mention that a full court comprising all the judges of the LHC had in 2016 resolved that there was no need to create more permanent regional benches of the court.