LHC forms panel to resolve lawyers, doctors scuffle

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday formed an eight-member committee comprising four lawyers and four senior representative of Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) to resolve the issue between doctors and lawyers.

A two-member LHC bench, headed by Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and comprising Justice Sardar Ahmad Naeem, heard the case of PIC and lawyers and formed the committee.

Lahore High Court Bar Association President Hafizur Rehman Chaudhry, former president Supreme Court Bar Association Pir Masoor Chishti and two other lawyers are included in the committee. The committee will present its recommendations in the court following which the court will deliver its judgment. The committee will start work after receiving the names of th doctors.

The court ordered not to prosecute guiltless lawyers but vowed proceedings and investigations against whoever had sinned during the clash between the doctors and lawyers at the PIC in Lahore on December 11.

Hearing petitions against reckless arrests of lawyers, the court also sought personal appearance of the Punjab chief secretary, home secretary and the inspector general of police (IGP) in the wake of the attack on the PIC. The petitions sought the release of lawyers, restraining police from torture, implicating in false cases and harassing them after the tragic incident.

Representing the legal fraternity, Pakistan Bar Council member Ahsan Bhoon argued that the arrested lawyers were subjected to torture by police and their faces were covered with black masks when they were produced in the court for remand.

Bhoon said the lawyers were humiliated and some of the lawyers sitting in Race Course Park Lahore were also arrested and tortured. He added an apology has been made to the general public [over the incident].

Punjab Police chief told the bench that the police were acting according to the law and the case was being investigated as per the set standards, adding the police didn’t target a particular group.

“The PIC attack is unfortunate and there is no space for an adventure in the country,” the LHC remarked. “Why the police didn’t act earlier when the lawyers covered six miles distance to reach the hospital,” the court asked, saying the police department should accept its failure.