Police baton-charge, fire tear gas as lawyers’ protest turns violent outside LHC
Lahore’s GPO Chowk on Wednesday became a battleground between riot police and lawyers after the latter staged a protest rally and attempted to enter the Lahore High Court (LHC).
The lawyers’ attempts to gain entry into the high court were repelled by police, who baton-charged, fired tear gas at and used water cannons to disperse them.
Dawn.com correspondent Rana Bilal, present at the scene, reported that violence erupted as lawyers, including members from the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA), demanded the dismissal of a terror case filed against fellow lawyers, and protested against the shifting of a court to a different location.
The correspondent said that dozens of lawyers were arrested and wounded in police action, while some members of the press, law enforcement agencies and bystanders were also affected.
Negotiations between the police and lawyers have so far failed to resolve the impasse, the correspondent on the ground added.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said she had directed Inspector General Dr Usman Anwar to “refrain from using force against the lawyers”.
“Lawyers must also resolve their matters with LHC amicably. For the safety of the citizens of Lahore, confrontation should be avoided,” she said in a post on X.
Speaking to Dawn News, LHCBA President Asad Butt said that the lawyers’ protest would continue until their demands are met.
“The police have inflicted cruelty by using force against a peaceful march,” Butt said, noting that dozens of lawyers have been injured by tear gas shelling.
He demanded that the notification of the division of courts be withdrawn immediately, and that cases filed against lawyers should be dismissed.
SCBA condemns police action, calls for suo motu
The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) strongly condemned the “police high-handedness against the peacefully protesting lawyers” and urged Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa to take suo motu notice of the incident.
In a statement, SCBA President Shahzad Shaukat, Secretary Syed Ali Imran and the bar’s executive committee “expressed solidarity with the lawyers and their just stance”.
“Numerous lawyers have reportedly sustained serious injuries and many have been unjustly detained,” the statement highlighted.
It demanded immediate medical attention for the wounded and the prompt release of the arrested lawyers.
The SCBA lawyers also strongly condemned and criticised the “inept handling of this very sensitive matter” by LHC Chief Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan, who, they said, “failed to resolve the issue despite repeated appeals from the Bar”.
They highlighted that the lawyers’ arrests were a “clear infringement of the principles of democracy, freedom of expression, and the right to dissent”.
“If the police brutality continues unchecked and the lawyers’ just & fair demands remain unmet, this protest will escalate into a nationwide movement, with SCBA spearheading the call for nationwide action,” the Bar’s statement said.
Separately, the Pakistan Bar Council has called for a strike and announced a nationwide protest tomorrow, according to its member Ahsan Bhoon.
“No lawyer across the country should appear in court tomorrow,” Bhoon said, adding that lawyers would stage rallies across the country on Thursday.
Earlier, footage broadcast on television showed a large number of riot personnel and lawyers clashing, with what appeared to be tear gas blanketing GPO Chowk.
In a post on X at around 12:30pm, the Lahore Traffic Police said that a diversion had been placed at High Court Chowk and Istanbul Chowk towards GPO Chowk.
It further added that the Cantt deputy superintendent of police was present at the scene along with “additional contingent”.
Speaking to Dawn News, Lahore bureau chief Muhammad Bilal said that all gates and roads to the LHC have been shut so that the lawyers could not enter the court.
“Those outside and trying to enter are being shelled and dispersed with baton charge and water cannons,” he said, adding that the lawyers were becoming frustrated with the police’s response against them.
He noted that since the LHCBA had announced the rally beforehand, there was already a heavy police contingent present at the scene with anti-riot forces and water cannons.
“While the rally was making its way to the court, it was peaceful. The police began taking action once the lawyers tried to make their way into the court,” the bureau chief said, describing the situation as “pretty tense”.
Meanwhile, when asked why the police resorted to shelling at the lawyers, a senior superintendent of police said the protesters had first pelted stones at the police and tried to engage them in a fight.
This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.