Demand for LHC benches: Protesting lawyers turn violent in Faisalabad

FAISALABAD: The lawyers of Faisalabad division Wednesday observed complete strike against non-establishment of a Lahore High Court Bench in Faisalabad. The members of district and tehsil bar associations boycotted the courts and took out separate rallies in support of their demand. A group of local lawyers partially damaged small furniture kept in the corridor of sessions court. Later, they entered the adjacent office of the deputy commissioner where a meeting under the chairmanship of DC Syed Ahmed Fawad was in progress. They forced the deputy commissioner to abandon the meeting after turning out the participants from the Conference Room. They also allegedly misbehaved with the DC. All roads leading to district courts were blocked by the local police. Commuters faced hardship as traffic was completely suspended till afternoon.

Meanwhile, addressing the lawyers, the DBA leaders said that when Prime Minister Imran Khan was not in power, he visited the DBA and had staunchly supported their just demand of establishing a high court bench here but now he was not paying any heed to their demand. They said a DBA delegation met Punjab Governor Chaudhry M Sarwar a couple of day ago and put up their demand. They said the governor had promised of conveying their demand to the premier but nothing had been done so far.

They warned that in case their demand was not fulfilled, the lawyers of Faisalabad division will observe strike for indefinite period, will stage demonstrations on the city roads and even shut down the Motorway and other main roads leading to Faisalabad.”We will also stage demonstrations on arrival of ministers and assembly members to Faisalabad,” they added. Meanwhile, a meeting of the DBA senior members was held here on Wednesday which tabled a resolution for immediate establishment of a Lahore High Court Bench in Faisalabad. The meeting decided that all district and tehsil bar associations of Faisalabad division would observe strike on Thursday (today).

GUJRANWALA: The members of District Bar Association Wednesday locked the entrance gates of sessions court and judges’ rooms for not establishing the LHC Bench in Gujranwala.

The lawyers went on strike and staged a sit-in. Litigants, who came from far-off areas of the district, were seen sitting in miserable condition on footpaths and waiting for an end to the lawyers’ strike.

Holding placards and banners, they demanded the CJP and the LHC chief justice take notice into the matter and announced establishing a Lahore High Court Bench in Gujranwala. The bar president said that their demand was genuine and they would continue holding strike till the announcement of the LHC Bench in Gujranwala.

SIALKOT: The District Bar Association completely boycotted the courts on Wednesday to express solidarity with the Gujranwala DBA's demand of setting up the LHC Bench in Gujranwala. The lawyers vowed to jointly continue their struggle in this regard. However, the litigants badly suffered due to the lawyers’ strike.