Lawyers’ arrest: LHC bench declines to hear pleas

LAHORE: A Lahore High Court (LHC) division bench on Monday declined to hear petitions challenging arrests of lawyers in an attack on the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), after the LHCBA president requested the court not to adjudicate upon it. The division bench headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, summoned President Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) Hafeez-ur-Rehman in chamber. The bar leader requested the bench to transfer the case to another bench of the high court. The bench on the plea of the high court bar sent the case to the chief justice for hearing in another bench of the court. Around three people died after a mob of lawyers attacked the PIC in Lahore in a clash with doctors. The lawyers ransacked the hospital, interrupted heart surgeries, thrashed attendants of patients and left many others including a security guard of the hospital injured. A senior judge of the LHC on Friday condemned the attack on the hospital by the lawyers and observed that the incident brought a bad name to the judiciary as well.

“How did the lawyers even think of attacking a hospital? You left us with no respect. It does not happen even during wars,” said Justice Ali Baqar Najafi with regret to leaders of the lawyers while hearing multiple petitions challenging the cases and arrests of the lawyers in the wake of the PIC attack.