Vandalism at IHC: Islamabad police book 32 lawyers

(Karachi) At least 32 lawyers, including four women law practitioners, have been booked for storming and ransacking the Islamabad High Court (IHC), local media reported on Tuesday.

An FIR of the incident has been registered at the Ramna police station that includes Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act besides mob attack causing a threat to life, vandalism, disrupting peace and other relevant clauses of the Pakistan Penal Code.

On February 8, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) had razed illegal structures built on the premises of the District and Sessions Court (DSC). The chambers were constructed on the footpath along with the iron grills outside the court of the district and sessions judge.

The demolition of chambers enraged the lawyers who staged protest against the CDA. A mob of lawyers smashed windows in the chief justice block, chanting slogans outside the IHC chief justice’s office, trapping the top judge inside.

As the lawyers’ protest grew violent, female employees were evacuated from the block and other IHC judges also arrived at the scene. Rangers and Counter-Terrorism Department officials were also deployed along with police in order to control the situation. Proceedings in district courts as well as in the IHC were suspended and petitioners were stopped from entering the building.