ATC Sends 46 Lawyers To Jail On 14-day Judicial Remand

(@fidahassanain)

ATC sends 46 lawyers to jail on 14-day judicial remand

Strict security arrangements were made in and outside the Anti-Terrorism Court during their appearance in PIC attack case.

LAHORE: (Urdu Point/Pakistan Point News-Dec 12th, 2019) An Anti-Terrorism Court on Thursday sent 46 lawyers to jail on 14-day judicial remand for attacking Punjab Institute of Cardiology which resulted into death of 12 people.

ATC Judge Abdul Qayyum Khan passed the order after police produced the lawyers involved in attacking Punjab Institute of Cardiology and torturing doctors, paramedical staff and attendants of the patients.

The accused were presented in the ATC after two FIRs were registered against them in Shadman police station. Ghulam Murtaza Chaudhry, vice president of Supreme Court Bar, Sughra Gulzar, advocates Nausheen Ambar and Tahir Minhaas represented the accused lawyers. The investigating officer sought the physical remand of accused for 14 days. At this, the court sent lawyers to jail on 14-day judicial remand.

At least 250 have been booked under Section 7 Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 and others sections including Section 302 of Pakistan Penal Code, 1860 for allegedly attacking Punjab Institute of Cardiology, torturing doctors and attendants of the patients and putting police van on fire outside the hospital.

The police registered two FIRs against the lawyers; first with Shadman police station on the complaint of Saqib Shafi Sheikh on behalf of Punjab Institute of Cardiology and the second FIR was registered on the complaint of Inspector Syed Intikhab Hussain on behalf of Police.

Complainant Inspector Syed Intekhab Hussain said that he was on patrolling when some lawyers holding a pistol and sticks approached his police vehicle and with an intention to kill, directly fired on him. He said after realizing the seriousness of the situation he tried to flee from there but his car climed onto a footpath and the lawyers surrounded it and started damaging it. The complainant officer said some lawyers shouted and asked his colleagues to set the vehicle on fire and to kill the police officials. They also fired on the police vehicle and set it on fire. The first FIR was registered under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, Section 290 (public nuisance), 291 (continuance of nuisance after injunction to discontinue), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 353 (assault), 324 (attempt to murder), 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house, etc) and 186 (obstructing a public servant in discharge of public functions) of the PPC.

The FIR second FIR that was registered on complaint of Saqib Shafi Sheikh on behalf of the PIC also carried Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act and Section 322 (manslaughter), 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging their duty),186 (obstructing a public servant in discharge of public functions), 354 (assault or criminal force to a woman with an intent to outrage her modesty), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 337-H (2) (punishment for hurt by rash or negligent act) and 395 (punishment for dacoity) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Lahore Bar Association Bar Association Malik Maqsood Khokhar, its vice president Ijaz Basra and LBA next candidate for the slot of President Rana Intizar were the prominent lawyers who were booked under the first FIR registered by Shadman police.

At least 12 people died after around 250 lawyers attacked Punjab Institute of Cardiology in clash with doctors. The lawyers ransacked the windows of the hospital, interrupted heart surgeries, thrashed attendants of the patients and left many others including a security guard of the hospital injured. They also set a police van on fire and created law and order situation at PIC and surrounding areas including GPO chowk where they tortured the common citizens and commuters.

Fida Hussnain

Fida Hussnain is a lahore based journalist. He writes on politics, religion, social issues and climate change. He is also a research fellow at University of Gujrat.