Attack on IHC building disgraced legal fraternity: CJ

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah on Wednesday said the attack on the court’s building by a group of lawyers “has disgraced the whole legal fraternity and they must be brought to book to avoid such an untoward incident in the future”.

Terming the incident as a disrespect for martyrs of the lawyers’ movement and an attack on the judiciary and institutions, he said the bar council was responsible to take action against such lawyers for vandalising a sacred institution. The chief justice gave these remarks during the hearing of different cases.

He further said a group of some “100 lawyers has earned a bad name for legal fraternity” while 95 per cent professional lawyers had to face embarrassment due to a five per cent’s wrong doings. Justice Minallah said he had to remain confined in his chambers for three hours owing to the protest. He could take action but he preferred to remain confined, he added.

On the occasion, a senior lawyer Mian Abdul Rauf assured the CJ that such incidents would not take place in future. To this the chief justice said it was possible only if those responsible for the current ambush were punished and be made an example of for others.

Abdul Rauf said it was also being ascertained that who instigated the other lawyers for the attack. The justice asked him not to give an impression of a conspiracy as all were known faces in the mob. Justice Minallah asked: “Why were the flower pots and windows broken?”

The incident was also discussed in other courts of law as well in which judges reprimanded lawyers for the action and taking the law in their hands by a group. Former president Islamabad High Court Bar Association Waqas Malik said the young lawyers were used to fuel this unfortunate incident.

He however admitted that legal fraternity due to this ungracious incident was facing harsh criticism across the country.