LAHORE: Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court (LHC), Sardar Muhammad Shamim Khan, has constituted the third bench to hear petitions against lawyers’ arrests charged in Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) attack case on December 11, ARY News reported on Tuesday.
The newly-constituted two-member bench comprising Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Sardar Ahmad Naeem will hear the petitions filed against the detainment of lawyers from their houses and officers during raids in connection with the PIC hospital attack case.
It is noteworthy to mention here that the high court had issued a notice to Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Lahore to submit reply in the case.
Read: ATC reserves verdict on bail petition of 20 lawyers in PIC attack case
Earlier, the previously constituted bench led by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi had sent back the petitions challenging arrests of lawyers in the attack on the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), to the chief justice for transfer of the case to another bench.
The division bench of the high court headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, summoned president of the high court bar Hafeez-ur-Rehman in the chamber. The Bar’s leader requested the bench to transfer the case to another bench of the high court.
The bench on the plea of the high court bar sent the case to the chief justice for hearing in another bench of the court.
Read: PIC attack: Arrested lawyers undergo lie detector test
Around 12 people had died after a mob of lawyers attacked Punjab Institute of Cardiology in Lahore, in the clash with doctors. The lawyers ransacked the hospital, interrupted heart surgeries, thrashed attendants of the patients and left many others including a security guard of the hospital injured.
A senior judge of the LHC on Friday condemned the attack on the hospital by a mob of lawyers and observed that the incident brought a bad name to the judiciary as well.
“How did the lawyers even think of attacking a hospital? You left us with no respect. It does not happen even during wars,” said Justice Ali Baqar Najafi with regret to leaders of the lawyers while hearing multiple petitions challenging the cases and arrests of lawyers in the wake of the PIC attack.
