Police in Lahore arrested several lawyers after breaking up their protest outside the Lahore High Court (LHC) which turned violent during which the law-enforcers lathi-charged and tear-gassed the black coats on Wednesday, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The police fired tear-gas shells and lathi-charged the lawyers who wanted to enter the chief justice’s block in the LHC to register their protest against the registration of cases against their colleagues under terrorism-related sections and consequently their arrests, and also against shifting of some courts to different locations.

The lawyers, in return, threw stones at the heavy police contingent which seemed to be in no mood to spare them.  

The police closed the gates of the high court in order to prevent the entry of protesters into its premises.

Consequently, the lawyers had to move to the GPO Chowk which turned into a battlefield due to their continuous clashes with the police.  

The flow of traffic on The Mall was also disrupted as a result of the lawyers’ protest, a call for which was given by the Lahore High Court Bar and the LHC Bar. The lawyers also tried to remove the barriers set up by the police.

The lawyers’ attempts to enter into the high court was repelled by police, who baton-charged, fired tear gas at and used water cannon to disperse the black coat. T

Dozens of lawyers were arrested and wounded in the police action, while some members of the press, law enforcement agencies and even bystanders were also affected.

Negotiations between the police and lawyers have so far failed to resolve the impasse, the correspondent on ground added.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0cGJYGQNMs

The images broadcast on TV screens showed police in riot gear engaging with lawyers, hitting with batons, using water cannons, and firing tear gas shells. Lawyers pelted police with stones leaving two police officers injured.

Lahore DIG Operations Faisal Kamran said at least 2,000 police personnel had been deployed at the court premises and that the police were prepared to handle the situation.

The police also brought prison vans to the scene, indicating that they were ready to arrest a large number of people.

The standoff continued two hours after the first clash broke out, with protesters throwing stones at the policemen and the police firing tear gas shells.

Talking to a private TV channel, LHC Bar Association President Asad Butt said that the lawyers’ protests would continue until their demands are met. “The police have inflicted cruelty by using force against a peaceful march,” he 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.

Lawyers have planned a massive protest against what is being dubbed a division of the judiciary. Most of the courts worked at a single place in Lahore called the Awan-e-Adil (House of Justice). However, the judiciary recently decided to transfer some of the courts to other locations in the city, including Model Town and Raiwind.

Groups of lawyers have been protesting the administrative decision, demanding the LHC chief justice, who is the administrative head of the judiciary in the province, change his decision.

Police charge lawyers wanted to storm LHC

DIG Operations Muhammad Faisal Kamran, on the other hand, has said that the lawyers wanted to storm the LHC.  

He has further said that over 20 lawyers have been taken into custody and shifted to Islampura, Anarkali, Civil Lines, and Lower Mall police stations.

Meanwhile, a number of police officers and jawans were injured in clashes with the lawyers and later they were referred to Mayo and Ganga Ram Hospitals for treatment.

The injured policemen included SHO Anarkali Police Station Akhtar Ali and Constable Subhan.

A civilian identified as Mukhtar was also wounded in the clashes.

Reporters: Malik Ashraf, Abid Chaudhry, Shaheen Atiq and Azmat Awan