LHC suspends 18-year sentence given to lawyer for hitting judge

LAHORE: A Lahore High Court (LHC) bench on Wednesday suspended 18-year sentence given by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) to a lawyer for hitting a civil judge with chair during proceeding of a case.

The court also granted bail to the lawyer, Imran Manj, with a condition to submit surety bonds of Rs 200,000 for the purpose.

The bench, headed by Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, passed the orders while hearing an appeal filed by the lawyer against conviction.

During the proceedings, the defence counsel questioned the sentence handed down to the appellant saying that ATC gave 18 years sentence without considering case facts.

He argued that it was a big punishment for a minor crime. He pleaded with the court for setting aside the sentence and suspend it till the final decision of the appeal.

A Faisalabad ATC handed down 18-year imprisonment collectively to the accused lawyer, Imran Manj, under section 7 of the Anti Terrorism Act (ATA), 324 and other sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

Advocate Rana Imran Manj had hit Senior Civil Judge Khalid Mahmood Warraich with a chair at Jaranwala during hearing of a case on April 25.

It is pertinent to mention here that the legal fraternity observed many strikes during the past weeks in protest against the sentence given to the lawyer Imran Manj.