Lawyers in Islamabad on Monday have launched a three-day boycott of courts to protest the sentencing of Iman Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatha.
The Islamabad Bar Council, High Court Bar, and District Bar have called the strike, during which lawyers are attending only urgent cases. As part of the protest, the Islamabad Bar Association barred police from entering court premises, forcing officers sitting in the canteen to leave.
Security measures around the Islamabad High Court and nearby areas were intensified, with a large police presence and armoured vehicles deployed outside the court.
Lawyers, led by Islamabad Bar Association President Naeem Gujar, staged a demonstration outside the Session Judge East Court. A rally was also held inside the court complex, with participants holding banners reading “Give Justice to Lawyers.”
High Court Bar President Wajid Gilani Dr., senior lawyer Babar Awan, and others joined the protest. Addressing the participants, Babar Awan said that while judges had previously taken to the streets, now lawyers were compelled to do so. He condemned what he called “state harassment” and “police excesses” against lawyers, warning that such actions were harmful to society.
The protest concluded after lawyers reached the District Judicial Complex, ending their demonstration peacefully.
