PBC gave strike call throughout the country and demanded ‘immediate release of lawyers’.
LAHORE: (Urdu Point/Pakistan Point News-Dec 13th, 2019) The legal bodies of the lawyers on Friday called for strike across the country to pressurize the government to release the lawyers arrested by police in Punjab Institute of Cardiology case.
The lawyers, following the call of their leaders, went on to countrywide strike and boycotted courts, demanding immediate release of their colleagues arrested in PIC attack case.
Yesterday, Pakistan Bar Council (PBC), the top regulator of the lawyers, issued a notification against the arrest of lawyers and police’s biased treatment with them. The council also took notice of the action taken by the Islamabad High Court against Islamabad High Court Bar Association’s secretary.
The lawyers’ leaders said that police tortured the lawyers and put them in the lockups, saying clearly that they would not appear in the courts.
“ A large number of lawyers even those who were not present there at the site have been arrested by the police which is regrettable,” said PBC vice chairman Amjad Shah.
At least 12 people died after rampaging lawyers attacked Punjab Institute of Cardiology—the only state of the art hospital for heart patients in Punjab. The lawyers broke the gate, entered into the emergency bloc of the hospital, stoned the administration office and smashed windows of the hospital. They also tortured the attendants of the heart patients admitted to PIC and subjected the doctors and paramedical staff to violence. The doctors fled the scene to save their lives that caused huge trouble to the heart patients.
“ I just ran out of the ward soon as I heard that the lawyers are coming ,” said a female doctor, adding that “many heart patients were there whose treatment was continued and we were busy checking their reports and suggesting medication,”. “Some patients were taken to operation theaters where their surgeries were being conducted when the lawyers attacked,” the doctor seeking anonymity said further.
The political leaders, top lawyers and civil activists and common citizens all strongly condemned the lawyers’ protest and attack on Punjab Institute of Cardiology.
On Friday, thousands of litigants faced huge trouble when the lawyers boycotted courts across Punjab. The lawyers of Islamabad, Balochistan and other parts of the country also joined the protest call given by Pakistan Bar Council and refused to appear before the courts.
Around 200-250 lawyers were booked under 7ATA and other sections of Pakistan Penal Code, 1860 by the Shadman police for attacking PIC, setting police van on fire, spreading fear and sense of insecurity among the citizens and challenging writ of the state by organizing hooliganism in the heart of the provincial capital on Wednesday.
