Lawyers torture cops, Geo team | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Lawyers torture cops, Geo team

By Numan Wahab

LAHORE: In yet another act of hooliganism, lawyers tortured the Anarkali Police SHO and a Geo News correspondent on the premises of the District and Sessions Court on Thursday.

The Samanabad police arrested two people – Sajid Hussain and Nisar Hussain – who happen to be brothers of a woman lawyer, Mohsina Javed, on Wednesday night in a case. On Thursday, ASI Akram of the Samanabad police produced the accused brothers in a court where Anarkali police Naeem Anwar Bajwa and Inspector Zaheer of the Islampura police were also present in connection with different cases.

A group of lawyers attacked the Anarkali SHO and Islampura police inspector, who had nothing to do with the Samanabad arrests and tortured them severely. The lawyers also ripped their uniform, official documents, abused and threatened them with dire consequences. In the meanwhile, a Geo News team rushed to the spot but the lawyers did not let it cover the incident and instead threatened it and deprived Geo News correspondent Asim Nasir of his official card. They ripped the camera bag, abused and violently pushed the Geo News correspondent and cameraman.

On the contrary, City Division’s SP Operations Muhammad Zeeshan while talking to The News termed the incident of ‘minor nature’.

In addition to the incident cited above, officials of the Lahore Bar Association had forced Senior Civil Judge Zubair Shahzad Kiyani to leave the courtroom on Feb 5, this year. The LBA officials also announced on the occasion that they had been elected representatives of lawyers and if any judicial official would not provide them relief, he would have to suffer humiliation in response.

On Jan 12, in the court of the Judicial Magistrate of Model Town the lawyers thrashed a woman, her niece and husband. A week later, the lawyers beat up Shahid Habib of Mustafa Abad in a bid to stop him from recording his witness in a case. The magistrate and litigants present on the occasion watched helplessly the violent lawyers beat a witness.

On Jan 26, in the much reported Shazia murder case involving former Lahore Bar president, the lawyers had abused policemen and journalists. They vented their anger on what they called the media trial of a senior lawyer. Sadly, none of them thought about the poor girl who fell victim to the lawyer and his family’s brutality.

On July 29, 2009, a reporter and a cameraman of a private news channel were held hostage and tortured by the office-bearers of the Lahore Bar Association along with other lawyers for broadcasting a video clip showing their brutality against a sub-inspector of Nishtar Colony police.

On July 23, 2009, the office-bearers of the Lahore Bar Association, along with two other lawyers, manhandled a family court judge in his chamber.
Source: The News
Date:2/26/2010