Zubair Qureshi
Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court on Wednesday termed the Monday Feb 8 incident of violent protest and storming of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) building by lawyers an unfortunate incident that was orchestrated only by a few.
However those few have brought bad name to the entire community of black coats, said Justice Athar Minallah. The Chief Justice was hearing a case when one of the lawyers present in the court room no.1 mentioned the incident and expressed solidarity with the court. “I on behalf of my community apologise for what had happened,” said he.
The chief justice in his remarks said what happened on Monday was a betrayal to the 90 martyrs of the “Lawyers Movement” who laid down their lives for the rule of law and justice in the country,” remarked the chief justice.
Deputy Attorney General Syed Tayyib Shah who was also present in the court said we are feeling embarrassed for what had happened.
The Chief Justice said it was a work of only a few lawyers, perhaps 100, while the rest of 6,000 members had nothing to do with it.
However, he said those 100 brought shame to their colleagues and law would find its own way in dealing with such law-breaking elements.
No one including me is above law, said the chief justice adding he was willing to cooperate with the protesting lawyers. “When they arrived at the Chief Justice Block I came out of my chamber to listen to them.
The policemen deputed at the block came to my security but I asked them not to come between my lawyers and me,” the chief justice further said.
The lawyers however didn’t show respect to the judge and smashed glass table and damaged the things in his chamber.
The chief justice wondered why those lawyers were so furious. “What was the crime of those flower pots they broke or other things inside my office,” he asked.
President of the Islamabad High Court Journalist Association (IHCJA) Saqib Bashir on behalf of the court reporters appeared before Chief Justice Athar Minallah and raised before his lordship the matter regarding threats to journalists by some lawyers when they were storming the IHC building on Monday.
A number of lawyers on that day had stopped the journalists from recording the incident and even threatened them of dire consequences.
Secretary of the IHCJA Secretary Ehtsham Kiani, former president Amir Saeed Abbasi and Joint Secretary of the association Farah Mah Jabeen were also present in the courtroom and drew the chief justice’s attention towards threats to journalists.
The Chief Justice while taking notice of the matter made it clear that journalists could not be stopped from carrying out their professional duties.
Keeping the public well-informed about the facts is a responsibility of the media and a right of the people and they cannot be deprived of this right. “This court has given judgments in this regard in the past and made it clear journalists cannot be stopped from carrying out their professional duties,” said the chief justice.
President of the IHCJA Saqib Bashir thanked the chief justice and assured him the journalists community in general and court reporters in particular would keep highlighting the injustices and matters of public interest without any fear.
