-IHC suspends licences of 21 Lawyers
By Uzma Zafar
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to demolish illegal chambers of lawyers built on the Football Ground, footpaths and greenbelts in Islamabad.
Headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, an apex court bench upheld the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) verdict and turned down lawyers’ plea to stay the demolition until an alternative place is provided for their chambers.Over the course of the hearing, the chief justice asked on what basis should the court halt demolition of the illegal chambers. “Lawyers have no claim on the football ground. Those who want to practice law should have their offices built somewhere else,” he remarked.
A lawyer said that several courts are also built on the ground, to which the chief justice ordered that these courts should also been pulled down.Justice Gulzar offered to give lawyers two months’ time to vacate the ground. However, advocate Hamid Khan said that the demolition be halted until they move to a new high court building.
At the previous hearing, the SC had restrained the CDA from demolishing the illegal chambers. The lawyers had expressed willingness to submit an undertaking to vacate the land once construction of the lawyers’ complex was completed.
Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday has suspended licences of 21 lawyers in misconduct proceedings against them over their alleged involvement in rowdyism in the high court. The Registrar of the high court said that some lawyers on February 08 stormed the Chief Justice High Court’s block and the petitioners were kept away from getting justice.
“It is not my personal issue. It is a different matter, I was harassed for an entire day”, Chief Justice of the high court said. “The problems of the bars and lawyers were ignored. All legal practitioners dis-reputed because of a few lawyers,” according to the chief justice. In the incident, some lawyers failed to control the furious lawyers, the chief justice said.
“A female lawyer even struck the door with a brick,” the top judge said. The lawyers involved in the incident will definitely be punished, the chief justice observed.
Earlier, a circular issued by IHC, said that a reference would be filed in the Bar Council for suspension of licences of the suspected lawyers. A case was filed against the lawyers, while 21 lawyers including four females were nominated in the first information report (FIR).
On Monday February 08, after demolition of illegal chambers in district and sessions court in Islamabad, angry lawyers stormed the high court building and manhandled police officials, staff and journalists. A large number of protesting lawyers outside the building had hurled stones while raising slogans against the district administration and IHC chief justice.
Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday has suspended licences of 21 lawyers in misconduct proceedings against them over their alleged involvement in rowdyism in the high court. The Registrar of the high court said that some lawyers on February 08 stormed the Chief Justice High Court’s block and the petitioners were kept away from getting justice.
“It is not my personal issue. It is a different matter, I was harassed for an entire day”, Chief Justice of the high court said. “The problems of the bars and lawyers were ignored. All legal practitioners dis-reputed because of a few lawyers,” according to the chief justice. In the incident, some lawyers failed to control the furious lawyers, the chief justice said.
“A female lawyer even struck the door with a brick,” the top judge said. The lawyers involved in the incident will definitely be punished, the chief justice observed.
Earlier, a circular issued by IHC, said that a reference would be filed in the Bar Council for suspension of licences of the suspected lawyers. A case was filed against the lawyers, while 21 lawyers including four females were nominated in the first information report (FIR).
