Lawyers explicitly involved in attack should be arrested, says IHC CJ Athar Minallah

• IHC accepts police's proposal to form JIT to probe whether innocent lawyers were arrested or not
• I personally know half the lawyers involved in the attack, says CJP Minallah
• Innocent lawyers should not be arrested, says IHC
  

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ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah on Saturday agreed to form a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe the alleged harassment of lawyers by police. 

Read more: Police register FIR against lawyers who stormed Islamabad High Court

The high court had accepted the suggestion to form the team, which had been put forward by police, to investigate the alleged harassment and arrest of lawyers who were not involved in the attack on the IHC. 

The development came about during a hearing of a complaint filed against police which alleged that lawyers who were not involved in the attack on the IHC a few days ago were being harassed and arrested by police. 

IHC CJ Athar Minallah said that only lawyers who were involved in the attack explicitly should be arrested, adding that he personally knew half of them. 

Read more: IHC open despite strike called by lawyers body: spokesperson

Justice Minallah said that authorities should seek guidance from the district bar authorities in identifying the lawyers who were involved in the attack. "The presidents of the Islamabad District Bar and the high court should identify the lawyers involved," he added. 

“If the bar had extended assistance, the harassment incidents would not have taken place,” Justice Minallah observed.

Describing the February 8 attack on the high court as an intolerable incident, Justice Minallah said that innocent lawyers, however, should not be arrested. 

He said those involved in the incident should also be given an opportunity of fair trial.

The chief justice sought a report from the chief commissioner and the inspector general of police Islamabad on the complaint. The court then adjourned the hearing till Feb 15.

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

Earlier this week, a mob of lawyers in Islamabad violently protested the demolition of their chambers by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) at the Islamabad judicial complex.

The lawyers smashed windows in the Chief Justice block, chanting slogans outside the IHC Chief Justice's office.

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

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

Officers from the Islamabad police arrived at the scene after a long time, sources had said.

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

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