Police register FIR against lawyers who stormed Islamabad High Court

• Twenty-one lawyers booked for attacking the Islamabad High Court
• Police currently raiding different places to take the lawyers into custody
• Reference sent to Islamabad Bar Council to suspend licenses of lawyers involved in the violent protest, says IHC
  

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ISLAMABAD: Police have registered cases against the lawyers who earlier in the day stormed the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and vandalised it, forcing IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah to confine himself to his room. 

Read more: Islamabad lawyers storm IHC building to protest CDA's demolition of chambers

The IHC, in a statement, said that cases have been registered against the lawyers who stormed the high court and inflicted damage at the premises of the IHC. 

Police are currently raiding different parts of the city to arrest the lawyers who were involved in the violent protest. 

Twenty-one lawyers have been booked by police for being involved in the protest and separate contempt of court proceedings will be initiated against those found guilty of the offence, read the high court's press release. 

The IHC stated that it had sent a reference to the Islamabad Bar Council to suspend the licenses of the lawyers who were involved in the protest. 

Lawyers' mob smashes windows of CJ block to protest CDA's action

A mob of lawyers smashed windows in the Chief Justice block, chanting slogans outside the IHC Chief Justice's office in a violent protest against the recent action by the Capital Development Authority (CDA). 

The CDA had on Sunday night demolished illegal chambers set up by lawyers in the premises of the district and sessions court in Islamabad.

Sources had said the Special Security Unit was not present when the lawyers started their protest.

Officers from the Islamabad police arrived at the scene after considerable delay, sources had confirmed

IHC CJ Athar Minallah was reportedly forced to confine himself to his chamber as the violence unfolded.

The protesting lawyers chanted slogans against the IHC CJ, while journalists and several protesters had clashed when the journalists tried to record footage of the hooliganism on display.

The entrances to the IHC were closed since 10 am, sources said, adding that lawyers and clerks had been barred from entering, and the service road leading to the court premises were also closed.