LHCBA demands release of lawyers

The representatives of legal fraternity have termed violence inside the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) a reaction to inaction of police regarding arrest of doctors involved in torturing lawyers few days before and demanded immediate release of their arrested colleagues.

The bar demanded of the government to ensure arrest of doctors nominated in the FIR of lodged after the previous incident wherein lawyers were tortured by young doctors. The Punjab Bar Council announced to observe a complete boycott of courts in the province on Thursday (today).

The lawyers will also take out rallies across the province till release of their colleagues and arrest of the doctors, said a statement issued by the PBC.

The Bar claimed it was the police and doctors who at first place resorted to violence on peaceful lawyers outside the PIC. President Lahore High Court Bar Association Ch Hafeezur Rehman and other office-bearers called on Chief Justice-designate Mamoon Rashid Sheikh after the incident of PIC and discussed about the situation.

An emergent meeting of Punjab Bar Council (PBC) presided over by its Vice Chairman Shahnawaz Ismail also observed that the lawyers had been holding peaceful protests for the arrest of the accused doctors but the authorities failed to pay any heed to their lawful demand.

It said lawyers also held peaceful protest demonstrations outside Civil Secretariat and the office of inspector general of police but in vain. It said a video of a 'provoking' speech by a doctor namely Irfan went viral on social media wherein he tried to humiliate the lawyers and their peaceful protests.

The PBC condemned 'criminal' silence on the part of Pakistan Medical Association and Young Doctors Association and failure to take any punitive action against the doctor.