Lawyers clash with police

LAHORE: Angry lawyers of the Lahore Bar Association Friday clashed with the police outside Aiwan-e-Adal when they tried to bring out a rally, Geo News reported.

Lawyers pelted stones while police resorted to tear gas shelling to disperse them and arrested many.

Meanwhile, the district administration has clamped Section 144 in Lahore today following yesterday’s riots, which resulted in rampage at chamber of Chief Justice Lahore High Court (LHC) by enraged lawyers.

Procession and mass gathering both have been banned in and outside Lahore Bar Association, police said.

Heavy police and rangers’ personnel had been deployed around LHC and Aiwan-e-Adal to avoid any mishap, feared to erupt as lawyers are observing strike and staging fierce protests.

Today, in a meeting of Lahore Bar Association (LBA), the lawyers resolved to register protest against the arrest of fellow lawyers, announcing to continue demonstrations until the lawyers get set free.

On Thursday, lawyers of the LBA Thursday attacked the court of Lahore High Court Chief Justice Khwaja Muhammad Sharif and tried to forcibly enter his office to avenge, what they said, backing out from his 'promise' of transferring district & sessions judge, Zawwar Ahmad Sheikh.

Later in the evening, police teams raided Aiwan-e-Adl and arrested district bar's president, Sajid Bashir, and many other lawyers including bar office-bearers when they were holding a press conference against the LHC chief justice. Police booked lawyers under the Anti-Terrorism Act. However, on the direction of Justice Sharif, police released Syeda Lubna and Vice-Chairman Mumtaz Mustafa.