Lahore, 08 May (HS). More than 25 people were injured in a violent clash between police and lawyers outside a court in Pakistan’s Punjab province on Wednesday. After this incident, the police arrested 50 lawyers and the Bar Council has announced a nationwide strike on Thursday against this.
Lahore High Court (LHC) on Mall Road here over the issue of registering terrorism cases against lawyers associated with jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and shifting the subordinate court to another location. There was a clash between lawyers and police outside.
Mall Road became a battlefield between the police and lawyers. Riot police lathicharged the protesting lawyers, fired tear gas shells and used water cannons to disperse them.
The Pakistan Bar Council has announced a nationwide strike on Thursday against the alleged brutality of the Punjab Police, soon after the Punjab Police claimed to have arrested more than 50 lawyers. More than two dozen lawyers and policemen were injured during the clash. Senior Lahore police officer Kamran Faisal said the injured included at least 14 policemen, including two senior officers, who were taken to hospital.
Faesal claimed that the lawyers first pelted stones at the police and in response tear gas shells and water cannon were used to disperse them.
As clashes between the two sides continued, Punjab’s first woman Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz directed Inspector General of Police Dr Usman Anwar to avoid using force against the lawyers.
